Project Zero
by graywords-girl
Summary: DISCONTINUED Lina has lived with her brother for years. But when Zelgadis enters a supposedly haunted mansion and dosen't come out again, it's up to Lina to solve the mysteries of the Mansion and it's terrifying past, before it's too late.
1. Prologue

Chapter 1

Prologue

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            Hello, I'm starting a new chapter. I did base this story off of _something_; I have a special surprise for the first person to tell me what. So review it the minute you finish! Hee! This will be rated R in later chapters. There will be a few POV changes through out the Prologue and second chapter. But it shouldn't be too hard to figure out what's going on.

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            I wonder how long it's been, since my brother and I began to see things, other people just couldn't see.

_______________________

Zelgadis walked carefully through the dark woods, his soft lavender hair nearly blended in with his dark surroundings, as did his clothing. The only thing that did stick out was his cool blue eyes and flashlight.

_______________________

My brother was the sweetest, most gentle person you could ever hope to meet, and the only one   
I could trust to talk to about these visions. After my mother died, he became my only family.

_______________________

He continued walking, in his hand, he held an old antique camera. It wasn't new or anything, but it was reliable, and that was what he needed.

_______________________

 My brother was in search of someone. Gourry Gabrief, a famous novelist and a man my brother was very indebted to, had gone missing while researching a new book. With him, his editor, Xellos Metallium, and his assistant, Sylphiel Nels Rada, had also disappeared.

_______________________

Zelgadis walked up the small hill towards his destination. Up towards the top, he crossed the small bridge and stopped in front of the giant house. It looked just like a house out of one of those horror movies. Broken shutters that clacked in the wind, rotten and broken support beams, and old wooden floorboards that creaked when walked upon.

"So this," He said as he looked at the house carefully. "Is Mikumoru Mansion,"

_______________________

The old stories that surrounded the old house on the hill didn't scare my brother. Nothing scared him. He was fearless, just like our father was. Sometimes I wonder if it's actually fearlessness, or just stubbornness. Either way, he entered, and then it began.

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Zelgadis entered the old house. The wind seemed to make it moan and whisper. A broken support beam block part of the way from the entrance, and the place was covered in dust and cobwebs.

He walked up the few steps that lead to the first room. Off to the far end of the room was a screen. It covered his view from there on, but her knew it was of no importance. To his left, a single slide-away door resided. He walked over to it, carefully so as not to irritate the old boards of the house. 

He slid it open; it made a soft _Shftt _noise as he did so. He found himself in a long hallway. Hanging from the rafters, several ropes swayed in an invisible wind. He walked down the hallway, and then came to a split in ways. 

In front of him was a large mirror; it more then likely had some significance a while back when the mansion was still inhabited. To his right, a large iron door sat. To his left, a wooden door that was boarded over sat. 

He opened the large iron door, swinging it as hard as he could. It opened with a little force, and he stepped into the room. 

The room was small, with a fireplace in the middle. In the far right corner there was a small staircase that led up to a balcony-type thing, (I don't know what they're called,). The balcony thing continued on into the next room. Zelgadis had to do a double take; he thought he had seen a man looking down from the balcony. To the right, there were a few dressers, one of which had a large Lion mask sitting on it.

Zelgadis walked over and looked at the dressers. It was completely covered in dust. He rummaged through the contents on the tops of the dressers, and then went through the drawers. He found nothing there.

He went up the staircase. When he reached the top, he saw a small notebook on the floor. He knelt down and picked it up. He opened it up, but couldn't read much of what was in it. What he could read said nothing more than the trouble they had had while trying to find the mansion. It was Mr. Gabrief's journal!

Zelgadis stood up. "But where is Mr. Gabrief?" He began to shake. Something was nagging at him; he just couldn't place what it was! He knew something was wrong, though. He turned when he thought he heard some of the boards creaking.

He shook his head. "I must be going nutty," But he heard it again. And not like the wind, no, this sounded like someone was walking, and coming closer. He watched carefully, scanning the area. There, a little away from the staircase, was a small glint, of something. He dropped the notebook, and grabbed the only thing available, the camera.

Out of the darkness appeared a white creature. It was shaped like a man, but its eyes were filled completely with nothing. It seemed to hover above the ground, and it was coming near Zelgadis.

Zelgadis lifted the camera, even if something happened, he might be able to get a photo of it. As it came closer, he pressed the shutter button. The spirit man shrieked and backed away. It began to come towards him again. Zelgadis looked at the camera surprised. He looked back up at the approaching ghost. 

He lifted the camera and pressed the shutter button, the ghost shrieked again, and then seemed to evaporate into the air. Zelgadis once again looked down at the small camera in his hands. What was going on? He shook his head and knelt down, picked up the pictures and notebook, and then stood and walked down the stairs.

He stopped half way down the stairs. "Wait a minute, that door was closed a moment ago, wasn't it…?" The door he was referring to was wide open. 

He left the room, still pondering over the door. He walked over to the mirror, and then froze. The feeling was at it again. This time, though, he had a feeling of real danger. He began to run, trying to get out as fast as he could. But he never did reach the door…

End Prologue


	2. 1st night: Part one

Chapter 2

1st night: Part one

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            Hello, and welcome to another chapter of Project Zero. Okay, let's just clarify things, if you haven't read my profile, then you should know that I need one review per chapter to update. Just one. I don't need that many, and I don't see a point in continuing if no one reads it. With that said, here we go.

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            It has been two weeks since my brother entered the mansion in search on Mr. Gabrief. Two weeks since his disappearance. I hope he's all right.

__________________________

            Lina stood just before the small bridge. Her long, flaming red hair was pulled into a high ponytail to keep off of her neck. She wore a blood red shirt and a milky white jacket that was zipped about halfway. She had a black miniskirt and knee high black socks.  On her back, her red backpack sat, and in her hand she held her flashlight. 

            She scanned the area with her crimson red eyes. "Zel…"

            From the moment she entered, Lina had a bad feeling about the mansion. She couldn't describe it. She just knew something had had happened in that place. 

            She walked up the few steps into the first room. She thought she saw a flash of light behind the screen. She walked over and looked behind it, having to push it slightly to see. The room suddenly felt very cold. She froze. It was happening again. Voices, many voice. Talking, moaning. She squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating hard.

            "Go away," She whispered. She dropped her flashlight. It hit the ground with a loud _BANG_. "Please, go away," The voices slowly died down to a mere whisper.

            Lina took a deep breath, calming her nerves. She then knelt down to pick up her flashlight. Wait; there was something else other than the smooth wooden floor. It was soft, and felt kind of like paper. 

            She lifted it, careful not to tear it. It was written in Mr. Metalium's handwriting! It must have been a piece of his journal! She read through it carefully.

            **Sept. 12**

**            Now there's another rope! And another rope…!**

            Lina cocked her head, slightly confused. She shook her head and stood up, placing the paper in her backpack.

            She opened the sliding door and stepped through. The floorboards creaked and moaned as she walked along the hallway. When she reached the mirror, her flashlight shimmered on something on the floor. 

            She knelt down; it was a camera! It was the same camera Zelgadis had had when he entered the mansion. But what was it doing here? She reached out to take. The minute she touched the camera, reality melted away.

            **Zelgadis ran down the hallway. His breath was shallow and his legs ached. Arms pure white in color jetted out of the walls, reaching for him. He looked behind him, was she still following him? He didn't even notice that he had dropped the camera.**

            Lina pulled back her arm slightly. What was that? "Did… did something happen to my brother…?" She looked up; she thought she had seen a woman in the mirror. She grabbed the camera. Beneath it was several sheets of paper. She lifted one and shined her flashlight on it so she could read it. It was written in Zel's handwriting.

            **Mikumoru Mansion was once the home of a large landowner that controlled vast areas of land. They also say that the site held some special significance that had to do with the Shinto Rituals of the region. (I couldn't find any detailed books on the Shinto Rituals, though.)**

**            The last master of the Mikumuro family (I later found out that they were also called Seilloon) massacred his entire household. Later, a family that tried to live there disappeared. Because of incidents like these, no one visits the mansion today, and it lies in ruins.**

**            Maybe that's why there are no accounts of the Shinto Rituals, or why the exact location of the place isn't recorded anywhere.**

**            Sept. 24**

**            I have had a bad feeling ever since I came to the mansion. I'm leaving notes in this notebook just in case anything happens to me. I've got to find Mr. Gabrief and the others fast… I hope it's not too late!**

            Lina sat there, a little shaken up by what her brother had written. She lifted up the next piece of paper; this one was in Mr. Metalium's handwriting.  

            **Aug. 20**

**            Mr. Gabrief needs some background material for his next work. There's a book about Mikumoru Mansion by a certain folklorist, and I'm supposed to find it. **

**            Aug. 22**

**            I can't find the book. But I did some checking on the folklorist. I found out he moved into Mikumoru Mansion to do research on it. But after some certain event, he and his whole family disappeared. I couldn't find the book, but I did find an article from that period about it. It's a small missing persons story, but it might be helpful as background material.**

            Lina placed that one with her brother's paper, then lifted another paper up. It was, once again, from Mr. Metalium's journal.

            **Sept. 10, 11:00 AM**

**            It looks like the earthquake last month and the murders in that village are all connected to Mikumoru Mansion somehow. I bet this is all going in Mr. Gabrief's next work; he's really into this subject matter! His output rate should be good.**

**            Sept. 10, 4:00 PM**

**            The entrance door is broken. When in the world did that happen?  It won't open; I'll have to find another way out. **

            Lina picked up the next piece of paper. This one was in Mr. Metalium's hand writing as well. So the earthquake and those murders she had read about were all connected to the mansion? How bizarre…  

            **Sept. 11**

**            I haven't felt very well since two days ago. Actually, more like when Sylphiel took my picture. What in the world this rope in the photo mean? **

            Lina picked up the last piece of paper; this one seemed different than the others, like it was written in a hurry. 

            **Sept. 10, 1:10 PM**

**            There seem to be a few devises in this mansion that are engraved with old characters. When I asked Mr. Gabrief about them, he said they corresponded to numbers. I understand the first few, they're the old characters for the numbers 0 through 3, but I don't get the rest. They're characters that have the same reading as the numbers 4 through 9, but mean something different. **

**            I guess each one has a special meaning, I'll figure out the rest later.**

            Lina stood and placed the papers in her backpack. This was very interesting, but what did it mean? She had also found an article about Mr. Gabrief's disappearance, but it didn't tell her anything new.

            She walked down the hall to the large door and opened it. Carefully stepping inside, Lina got the chills. She walked up towards the staircase. Then, walking up the stairs, a ghostly white person seemingly appeared. He walked up.

            "Zel?" Lina hurried up the stairs, but by the time she reached the top, the figure had vanished. She shook her head. "I must be hallucinating," 

            She walked back down the stairs and headed to the dressers. Searching through them, she found a piece of paper in Mr. Gabrief's handwriting.

            **Plot of my next work**

**                        -Gourry Gabrief**

**            A series of murders in a country village. Dead bodies turn up one after another. Murders that resemble cruel Shinto Rituals of legend in the area. The acts of a man swore to revenge, and the strange correlation between those acts and the folklore.**

**            The man is gradually more and more influenced by the legends. The work will be the story of this man, proceeding in parallel with tales of the local lore. Records of the past turn up after an earthquake. The story gradually blurs the boundary between the present and the past.  **

**            July 24- About Mikumoru Mansion**

**            Mikumoru Mansion is known as the home of a large landowner that controlled this region. But they say it was originally the place a shrine was built for performing a certain Shinto Ritual, passed down through the generations.**

**            But the people of that time kept the ritual a deep, dark secret. They were even forbidden to say its name aloud. Today, almost no account of the ritual exists, aside from a smattering of folklore legends.**

            Lina scratched her head. If he ever did publish that work, it would be an instant hit. She shook her head. She picked up an old newspaper article.  Bringing the flashlight up again, she read it.

            **The earthquake the other day destroyed all five mirrors (The Holy Mirrors); which were artifacts kept for centuries in the five shrines. These mirrors represent the five gods' protection over this region.**

**            Most commonly known for "The Five Gods Festival" held every 10 years, when all five mirrors gather in one shrine.**

**            The priests of this shrine hope this isn't a bad omen.**

            Lina shook her head. How odd. The five mirrors being destroyed right before Mr. Gabrief's mysterious disappearance. She sighed. This was very strenuous on the brain. She headed up the steps once again; maybe she could find something upstairs. 

            Upstairs was simple. There was a wooden door on the far wall. She walked over to the door and tried it. Locked.

            "It's locked, but I hear something on the other side," Lina said, pressing her ear against the door. "Is somebody in there…?" 

            Lina pulled away from the door. She shook her head; she would have to find a key. She walked slowly back down the stairs, and then froze. The room became very cold. Through the support beams of the balcony, she saw a man that was ghostly white walk through the screen that leaned against the wall.

            She rushed down and stood in front of the screen. There had been no feeling of danger; the room had just gotten very cold. She turned to leave, but stopped. There in front of her stood a little girl, a pale white girl in a kimono. It seemed like Lina was looking at her in black and white. She had shoulder length dark hair, and was slightly chubby, though not by much. 

            The girl approached Lina. Lina's heart raced and her breath became forced and shallow. The girl stopped in front of Lina, and extended a pale finger. She pointed at the camera in Lina's hands, and then moved her arm so she was pointing at the screen. Lina followed the girls hand and look at the screen. She looked back, but the girl was gone.

            Lina's breath returned and her heart slowed again. "Should I take a photo?"


	3. 1st night: Part two

Chapter 3

1st night: Part two

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            Hello! Updated again! This chapter may be a little long and may be a little confusing. If any questions appear, please type it in a review or if you wish to speak privately, email me. My email is on my profile. Now then, here we go,

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            Lina took a step back and aimed her camera at the screen. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the button for the shutter. The picture slipped out of the small slit and she held it up to her flashlight. It slowly developed, revealing the screen.

            But the something happened, and the picture changed. She didn't see the screen, but a door.

            "The screen doesn't show up," She said, looking back up at the screen. She peeked behind it, but couldn't see anything. She carefully placed the camera on the floor and grabbed the screen with two hands.

            She let out a small squeal when the screen nearly fell on her. She pushed it back into an upright position and pulled it back slowly. It came with a little force and she leaned it against the staircase. She turned back and looked at the door that had been revealed. 

            "Just like in the photo," Lina stooped down and picked up the camera, and the stared at the door for just a few moments.

            Finally, she built up her courage. She carefully placed her hand on the doorknob. It was warm, as though someone had already placed his or her hand on it. She shook her head; that was impossible. Unless…

            "Zel!" Lina swung the door open, only to come face to face with a ghostly white face. The spirit disappeared before she could get a look at it, but it did leave something behind. They were speaking to her again. The voices; many of them. But this time, she could actually hear what they were saying. 

            **"The key? Where is the key?" **Lina shut her eyes shut and dug her fingernails into her palms. This wasn't going to go any farther than it had already. She had to find her brother.

            "Go away," She said through gritted teeth. The voice slowly died down and she took a deep breath.

            Lina stepped into the hallway. It was covered in oriental lamps that were hanging from the ceiling. It actually made the place seem kind of warm, aside from the really creepy aspects. She walked down the hallway and around the corner.

            Down the hall, a simple brown closet sat, and to her left, a door. She opened the door slowly and carefully. Stepping in, her vision was obscured by a line of screens. She walked around them and to her surprise she realized that the room looked kind of like a bedroom, except, it had no furniture aside from a single dresser. There was a window that allowed the moon to shimmer through, and a single closet.

            There was also a strange noise. It sounded like paper being crumbled up, except like it was coming from some kind of animal. And it was coming from the closet. She walked towards it, but stopped when she found an old newspaper article on the dresser.

            **Late yesterday, a human body with no limbs was found in Mikumoru Mountain, located in the second region of the prefecture. The body's hands, feet, and head were all torn off. The police are investigating the case as both a murder and an accident. **

**            The body has not been identified as of yet, but is believed to be a man of around the age of 30. The police are also taking into consideration that a body, mutilated in the same manner, was found in the same location 15 years ago.**

Lina stared at the article a moment before placing it with the other scraps she had found in her bag. The noises hadn't stopped. She took a deep breath and slowly opened the closet.

            Inside, sitting on a dresser, was a tape recorder.  It was running and about half way done. She slowly reached for it. A hand shot out of the darkness and grabbed her wrist. Lina froze; her heart sped up and her breath became forced and slow.

            A scene flashed before her eyes.

            **Mr. Gabrief, Sylphiel, and Xellos entered the mansion. The floor creaked as they stepped in. Xellos looked around, and Sylphiel shivered.**

**            "This place, it has a bad feeling to it," Sylphiel said, inching closer to Mr. Gabrief.**

**            Xellos rolled his eyes. "Not more of that "Sixth sense" junk,"**

**            Sylphiel shot a look at Xellos. "You be quiet. You obviously are walking in the dark, but I feel something,"**

**            She was cut off by a startling slam of the door behind them. **

**            Mr. Gabrief shrugged. "Must have been the wind,"**

Lina pulled away, startled and slightly shook up. She muffled down a shriek when she saw a pale white figure fall onto the dresser. It stayed there a brief moment before disappearing. Lina stood there for a few minutes, trying to collect her nerves. Finally, she grabbed the tape recorder and pressed play. She heard Mr. Gabrief's voice slip through the small speaker.

            **"Sept. 9 5:40 PM**

**            The mansion was nowhere to be seen on the map, so we finally had to ask the locals how to find it. They told us Mikumoru Mansion has been empty for several decades now. The same one who told us where it was also warned us not to come here, it was quite disconcerting."**

The tape stopped here. Lina cocked her head. How very odd. It said Sept. 9, which means it wasn't made that far in the past from the time they disappeared. Lina put the tape recorder in her bag and turned to walk out. She stopped.

            "But that wasn't open a moment ago," Lina said. A small slide away door was open behind her, but she distinctly remembered it being closed. She hesitated, and then went into the room.

            The room was filled with many kimonos of all different colors and sizes. They were all sitting on large racks. They seemed to make a maze, because as she stepped in, they seemed to make a pathway for her. 

            She walked around, until she came to notice a small window. She walked towards it and looked out, but her vision was obscured. She turned around slowly. She nearly screamed when the figure of a pale white man appeared in front of her.

            He reached forward towards her. She stumbled back and ran towards the door. When she reached it, she frantically tried to pull it open, but it was as if some force was holding it closed. She turned around just as the spirit reached her. It reached out and grabbed her.

            Lina screamed as she felt a sharp pain strike her right where the spirit was holding her. He let go, and she fell to the ground. As she fell, her finger accidentally struck the shutter button on her camera. The ghost screamed, a sound that hurt the ears and took a few steps back before disappearing.  

            Lina stared down at the camera. "What… what happened? Did it… was it…" She couldn't finish her sentence; it had reappeared. Lina looked up, and then looked back down at the camera. She narrowed her eyes and ran to one corner. She put her back to the corner and held the camera up to her eye.

            The spirit stumbled forward. Lina wait a few seconds. The camera, it was emitting some kind of aura. The longer she waited the stronger the aura got. Just as the spirit was reaching out for her, Lina snapped the shutter. The ghost shrieked again, and then seemed to be pulled into the photo that had slipped out of the camera.

            Lina wait a few minutes for her heart to settle. What had just happened? She shook her head. 

            She walked back over to the window. Below it, there was a small case. She tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. 

            "I know something is in there, something I need," She said. She knew it because she felt some force pulling her towards it. She looked up and noticed above it there was another case. But this one had an imprint on. It was shaped like a small hand mirror. She thought about it for a moment. 

            "Maybe," She brought the camera to her eyes. Maybe it was like the screen. She snapped the shutter and pulled the photo out. It developed slowly, and revealed instead of a case with an imprint in it, a large mask that looked like a lion. 

            "I've seen this before," She said looking at the photo. She turned and opened the door. "Maybe that's the key,"


	4. 1st night: Part three

Chapter 4

1st night: Part three

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            Hello! The contest is over! I received a review with the correct answer the other night. The winner is… GodOfTheWired! Congratulations! You did it! The answer was "Fatal Frame", an excellent horror/survival game. Anyway, sorry for the small delay, but here we go! 

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            Lina let out a little yelp when she tripped on her way out the door. She sat there on the ground for a moment, looking for what she had tripped on. On the floor, she found another white tape. She pulled out the tape recorder and put the tape in. Again, Mr. Gabrief's voice came floating out of the speaker. 

            **"Sept. 9, 9:40 PM**

            It seemed dangerous to walk into the mountain at night, so we decided to spent the night here and continue our work. I've been through several rooms already. Unlike the exterior, the interior is still in quite good shape. A little earlier, I thought I saw the white shadowy figure of a woman in the hallway near the entrance.  I'll keep track of such sightings and publish in my later account."

            Lina listened for more, but none came, so she put the tape recorder and the tape in her bag again and stood up. She brushed herself off and opened the door again, it had some how closed when she had tripped.  Her hand froze on the door handle. A sudden rush of cold had slipped through her. She had the feeling of danger, and her heart and breath quickened.

            Lina spun around, and just in time too. Just as she had opened the door, the white spirit had reappeared behind her, and had almost grabbed her. She jumped back into the small bedroom like area and her camera flew to her eye. The spirit moved towards her, it was faster this time! He came towards her as she waited for the camera to get that aura it had last time. Just as he was about to grab her, she snapped the shutter.

            He faltered a brief moment, and then came towards her again. She bit her lip, just a little more. She needed more time! She dropped her camera as it grabbed her by the arms. She screamed and fell to the ground. Sweat trickled down her face as she scrambled for her camera. She ran towards the door, but some force blocked the way there. She turned around, and noticed that the spirit was still at the other end of the room. She pulled her camera up to her eye and allowed the aura to build up. She aimed carefully and snapped the shutter once again.

            It shrieked and then seemed to disappear. Lina sighed and sank to the ground. Her heart and breath returned to normal and the feeling disappeared.

            She sighed and started to walk to the door again. She couldn't take much more of this, she would lose her sanity first!

            She reached the door and opened it. She walked back down the hallway and back to the room with the big fire pit in the middle. When she reached it, she had a sudden feeling that she was completely alone. Before, she felt like she was in a very crowded room, but now… now, it was empty. 

            She walked down the stairs slowly, each one making a creaking noise under her feet. She reached the bottom and used her flashlight to look around. 

            "There!" Her flashlight shined on a big yellow mask on top of one of the dressers. She walked over and looked at it. It looked very old and was completely covered in dust.

            She carefully lifted the mask up and reached in. Her hand struck something cold, like glass. Wait; glass. A mirror had glass! She pulled out the object, which turned out to be a small, red hand mirror. She looked at it. She reached into one of the pockets on her skirt. She pulled out the photo of the impression. But she all she could see was a picture of the Lion mask.

            She sighed and put the mirror in her bag. If it weren't right, she would look for another. She walked back. She went through the secret door and down the hallway with all the lamps. As she rounded a corner, she practically jumped out her skin. There was a small closet at the end of the hallway, and a man was coming out of the door! After a brief moment he disappeared. She breathed a sigh of relief and walked to the door.

            She pulled it open and then shrieked. Right in front of her, the man was right in front of her! (You know when you open a door and someone's standing right in front of it, how it can startle you? Well, imagine it with a six-foot dead guy.) He disappeared quickly, leaving Lina in a small state of shock.

            "I can't take much more of this!!!" She shouted. Her shout echoed through the empty hall. Lina shivered. "Okay, I'm never doing that again,"

            She walked into the small bedroom. Walking slowly and quietly, she made her way to the room with all the kimonos. She walked in, and a cold rush went down her spine. That was not a good sign.

            She walked over to the place where the impression was and pulled out the hand mirror. She inserted it in the spot, and nearly jumped five feet in the air when it made a _click _noise. The drawer underneath it slid open a bit, allowing her to see what was in it. It was bare, aside from a small brass key and a photo. She reached into the drawer and pulled out the photo. 

            "It's that man, Mr. Metalium," She said, looking at the photo. "But, what does this rope mean?" On the photo, around Mr. Metalium's neck, a single rope sat. She sighed and put the photo in her bag. She'd figure it out later. She reached down and picked up the key. "I bet this is the key to that locked door."

            She froze. There it was, the feeling of danger. And it came to her in a rather large wave. Her heart began to speed up. She turned slowly. There! There was a faint glint in the corner of the room. She pulled her camera up to her eye and allowed it to charge. The glint moved towards her, and very quickly, too! Lina had no choice but to press the shutter. She ran off to a far wall and spun on her heel. 

            But she didn't see anything! She looked around carefully. She screamed as she felt the man grab her from behind. He let go and she fell to the floor. She struggled for breath as she stood. This wasn't easy. She pulled her camera to her eye again and waited a few moments. There! She snapped the shutter. The ghost faulted, allowing Lina to run to a better position. She stopped when she noticed that the ghost was nowhere to be seen. But she knew it was there. She still had the feeling.

            She sighed and forced her self to relax. She closed her eyes; at this point, all they were doing was confusing her. She felt a quick rush from behind her. She spun around and pressed the shutter, not even bothering to aim. She had to trust her senses. The ghost froze and backed away a little. Lina ran to get away. She once again closed her eyes. To her right! She snapped the shutter.

            This time to the left! She snapped the shutter again. The ghost shrieked and she watched as it was sucked into the photo. The feeling had disappeared. She was safe.

            "At least," She said as she leaned against a wall and slipped to the floor. "For now,"


	5. 1st night: Part four

Chapter 5:

1st night: Part four

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Hey! Glad to see that you guys like it! To answer your question, T.L.Y.Y., I really have no idea about the ending. I'm still trying to beat the first boss without having my game freeze on me. But, I guess that's kinda a good thing, because it adds a little bit more originality to the story. Don't worry! The story will continue, just as soon as I update! And this chapter is a bit short, but that's because the next one is going to be a decent size, this is a teaser, sorry about the wait!

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            Lina got up from her position on the floor and walked over to the door. It had actually been kind of comfortable sitting on the floor, but she needed to find her brother.

            Sighing, and praying that nothing would jump out at her, she opened the door and stepped through. As she walked back into the bedroom, she thought about the tapes she had found. They had been strange, and in Mr. Metalium's voice, too. Mr. Metalium was somewhat odd, but he would never make up some of that stuff.

            _I've met Mr. Gabrief before,_ She thought as she walked out of the bedroom and into the hall. _Zel introduced us, he didn't seem like he was a novelist, especially a famous one,_

            She walked down the hallway and then came to the door that led to the room with the fire pit. She sighed. This was fun, really. She smiled slightly at her sarcasm; Zel had said it was one of her best traits.

            She opened the door and stepped through, and once again she felt like she was in the presence of someone else. She looked around. When her eyes reached the staircase, her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth to hold back a shout. She watched as her brother ran up the steps, and then disappear. 

            A small tear slipped down her cheek and she quickly brushed it away. It wasn't too late, it couldn't be! She walked up the stairs to the locked down and took a deep breath. She gathered her nerves and slipped the small brass key she had found into the lock. She turned it and the door made a soft _click_ sound.

            She turned the doorknob and entered the next room. But she stopped as she stepped in. There was a force, a very strong one, too, pulling her towards a small door to her right. She shrugged her shoulders, it couldn't be that bad. And if it was…

            She gave the camera a small squeeze,_ Then I blow it away,_ She walked over to the door and opened it. It swung open and she stepped in. 

            The first thing she noticed about the room was that there were sets of dolls along some of the walls. This must have been a room that children would play in. The walls were vanilla colored, and the floor seemed unsound.

            Lina noticed something on the floor by one of the sets of dolls. She walked over and picked it up. It was a red tape. She reached into her backpack and pulled out her tape recorder. She pressed the play button and listened. The voice that slipped through the speaker in a wave was female, and from the sound of it, a quite timid one at that. It must be Mr. Gabrief's assistant, Sylphiel!

            **"Sept. 10, 10:20 AM**

**            We discovered some disturbing photos in the chests of a drawer. Could this be the folklore children mentioned in Xellos's notes? The photo is quite old and shows some kids playing tag. In the corner of the photo, there is the faded image of a young girl in a white kimono. Her finger is pointed this way, and her eyes look as though she was making some final dedication."**

            The tape stopped and Lina put it back in her bag. The girl in white, could it have been the same girl that had told Lina about the hidden door? Lina pondered about this for a moment, it was a possibility. But, why was this girl doing these things? What was her story? Lina rubbed her head.

            "Thinking this hard is starting to affect my brain," She mumbled. She walked over to one of the corners and something caught her eyes. She knelt down and picked it up. It was a small scrap of paper.

            She lifted it up and read it. It was clearly written in a female's handwriting, this must be from Sylphiel.

            **Aug. 20**

**            It seems a folklorist named Rezo Akahoshi was studying about the various rituals passed down at Mikumoru Mansion. He supposedly left a book of research, but I can't find it anywhere. I wonder if there's a copy in a library somewhere?**

**            Aug. 30**

**            I still can't find the book; I'll have Xellos Metalium from the editing department do a search for it. I doubt he'll be able to find it, though…**

            Lina cocked her head slightly. She was probably referring to the book that she had read about in Mr. Metalium's clips. She stood up and placed it in her bag. She then noticed a small drawer in one of the corners. She walked over and opened it; it couldn't hurt to look! The only thing inside, which surprised her incredibly, was a packet of film. She lifted it up and looked at it with her camera.

            "This is for my camera, but," She glanced around and then looked back at the film. "Did my brother leave this for me?" 

            She shook her head and put the film in her bag. She saw a small door in the back of the room and walked over to it. Locked. She sighed and walked out and back into the other room. 

            This time she got a good look at it. It was dark, aside from her flashlight, it had little woven mats all over the floor. She noticed a particular urn in one corner. It was colorfully decorated and caught her attention. She walked over and checked inside it. She pulled out a piece of paper. She used her flashlight to look at it and read it carefully. It was in strange handwriting she didn't recognize.

**            Secret Rituals of the Seilloon Family**

            **Many rituals and customs have been passed down through generations of the Seilloon Family. Most of them are lost, however. The only things we have left now are some documents that record these rituals as a legend.**

**            Hardly any of the oral history remains. This is because all Seilloon family members are dead, and those who were close to the Seilloon family have kept quiet about the rituals.**

**            One ritual, in particular, performed on December 13th, is shrouded in mystery. People who lived near the Mansion stayed inside on that particular day, and even now, it is considered bad luck to leave the windows open on that date.**

**            I can only assume that this is due to the cruel nature of the ritual, but the truth remains unknown.**

**            ~Rezo Akahoshi**

            Lina finished reading it and placed it in her bag. This place was getting weirder and weirder ever second she spent in it.


	6. 1st night: Part Five

Chapter 6:

1st night: Part five

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Hey, nice to see you guys are STILL reading this. Sorry for the delay, but I recently came down with some kind of Flu and haven't had much time to work on this chapter.

 All right, just to warn you, from here on, this story is nothing like the game. I mean, it will be like the game, but because I haven't gotten this far into it, most of the backgrounds and such will be things of my imagination. I'm actually making this with my sources being a couple of game faqs. Anyway, this chapter may be fairly short, but a lot is going to happen! So get ready!

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            Lina continued walking around the room. It was actually almost bare of items, aside from the mats on the ground, and a table. Wait a second; there was something under the table. Lina used her flashlight, and the item seemed to reflect the beam. Blinded for a slight moment, Lina walked over and knelt down. It was a small stone mirror!

            She shrugged and picked it up; so many of the strangest things had come in handy in this place, better not pass it up. She stood up and placed it in her bag. She glanced around for a moment, and then noticed a set of double doors. She walked over and opened them. They swung open without hesitation and revealed a balcony. 

            She stepped onto the balcony and looked over the railing. There she saw a small room that branched out from the mansion. She shrugged and went back inside, nothing there.

            She noticed a small passageway coming from one of the walls. She walked over and shined her flashlight into it, funny how she hadn't noticed it before. Lina took a step towards it, and slipped on the floor, dropping her flashlight.

"Ouch!" She mumbled, rubbing her sore back. Her flashlight had rolled down into the passageway. Sighing, she stood and walked down the passage, keeping one hand to the wall for reassurance. 

            She shivered slightly and pulled her jacket around her body; this place was so unnerving! Walking carefully, she managed to find her way through the darkness. She knelt down by her flashlight and picked it up. She then noticed the two doors, one on her right and the other left. But the one on her left was boarded over. That didn't give her many options.

            Sighing, Lina stood and brushed herself off. She walked over to the door on her right and reached for the doorknob. Her hand stopped on the handle, though. She took a deep breath and, half expecting something to jump out at her, turned the handle and opened the door.

            Inside, there was a large hallway. Lina stepped through the door and looked around. Behind her there was a big closet, and farther up the hallway she could see a large mirror that ran from floor to the ceiling. 

            Lina walked slowly towards the mirror. Her breath swallowed slightly and her heart started to beat faster. There, in front of the mirror she saw a young looking woman. She seemed to stare into the mirror for a brief moment before disappearing. She stood there for a brief moment before approaching the mirror. 

            She stopped and shut her eyes tight. Not again. The voices… again with the voices!  She concentrated, trying to rid her head of any sound that was not hers. She calmed as the voices died to whisper.

            Lina sighed and relaxed slightly. It was then that she noticed the scrap of paper resting on the wooden floorboards. 

            She knelt down and picked it up. It was written in very neat handwriting, more then likely another scrap from Sylphiel. Using the light from her flashlight, Lina read it.

            **Aug. 27**

**            The more I find out about Mikumoru Mansion, the creepier it gets. I'm sure it's the perfect subject matter for Mr. Gabrief's next book, but, to be perfectly honest, I don't like this assignment one bit. It gives me a bad feeling…**

**            There's no way I want to go to that mansion, but it is my job, right? I guess I'll have to go, Mr. Gabrief will probably need me for research purposes. And it doesn't help me at all, this sixth sense thing. It's bad enough I get jeered at by Xellos; I don't need that from Mr. Gabrief too.**

**            But, there is such a thing as knowing TOO much, isn't there?**

Lina placed the scrap with all the others, and then stood up and brushed her pants off. To the side, there was another hallway. She shined her flashlight down it and noticed a door at the end of the hall. She walked towards it carefully; the farther she went, the more unsound the boards made her feel. 

            When she reached the door a sudden gust of wind caught her off guard.

            "What the…" She broke off as she glanced around. "Where did that come from? There aren't any windows near by…" She shook her head.

            Shaking slightly, Lina extended her hand and reached for the knob on the door. She gave it a quick tug. Locked. 

            She let out a frustrated growl. This place was starting to get on her nerves. Sighing, she turned on her heel and headed back to where the staircase was.

            One hand on the railing, Lina made her way down the old, creaking steps. The stairway was dark, even with her flashlight, making it hard to see where each step was. But aside from these complications, Lina reached the bottom unharmed.

            Lina shivered. The room suddenly seemed oddly cold. Her breath began to quicken in pace, as did her heart. She took a step forward and grasped the camera. 

            Slowly, she turned around. Out of seeming nowhere, a man appeared, reaching out for her with his long, pale arms. 

            Lina shrieked and took a step back, slipping on the boards. She landed hard on the floor, her camera sliding out her reach. Lina kick and back up as the man reached for her, horror written all over her face and expression. The man snapped a hand at her. She managed to avoid it and scrambled for her camera. 

            Grabbing it, Lina pressed the shutter, not bothering to aim. The long-armed spirit shrieked, giving Lina and opportunity.

            Lina spun on her heel and ran down the hall. She reached one corner of the long hallway, huffing and panting, and turned. The man was slowly lumbering towards her. She brought her camera to her eyes and allowed it to charge. 

            Just as the spirit was about to reach her, Lina pressed down on the shutter, and then spun on her heel and ran to the next corner. She did this several times, until she found herself back at the staircase. It was just one big loop! 

            Sighing, she turned again and waited for her camera to charge. Once it had, Lina pressed down on the shutter. The ghost screamed, and then seemed to be pulled into the last shot she took of it. 

            Lina took a deep breath, and then checked her camera. It wasn't damaged, but it was running short on film. Lina reached into her bag and pulled out the package of film she had found. She placed it in her camera and took out the used roll of film.

            "Okay, set." She said, placing the old film back in her bag. She then turned and walked down the hallway again, this time looking around more carefully. 

            She walked around a bit, until she found a small hole in the wall. There, on the floor in front of the hole, there was a small piece of paper. Lina knelt down and picked it up, it was an old newspaper article. Using the light of her flashlight, Lina read through it.

            **On the night of the 3rd, the police received a report of four children disappearing under mysterious conditions. Old superstitions in the area say that the children would have been "Snatched up by Ghosts", and that's what many of the members of a near by village believe happened.**

Lina placed the article away, pondering on its contents. Four children disappearing under strange circumstances? That, simply put, spelled out Mikumoru Mansion. 


	7. 1st night: Part six

Chapter 7:

1st night: Part six

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Okay, freebie. This is a warning; I didn't get a review last chapter. I really am enjoying writing this, but I'd like to know if people are reading it.

Anyway, this chapter is rather short. I hope I make my goal of at least 1000 words each chapter!

 With that said, Let's go!

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            Lina sighed stood up. This place was very complicated. She shook her head and looked around. From what she could see, she had three options. 

            She saw one door that was all the way down the hall to her right. Another resided right in front of her, and the last was towards the staircase. She shrugged and tried the door in front of her. Locked.

            "Just my luck…" She walked down the hall to her right and tried that door. It was small and wooden, and looked like it was about to fall apart. Carefully, she placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it. The door swung open, reveal a huge room. 

            The room it's self was filled with all sorts of nooks and crannies for thing to hide in. There was a large tapestry hanging from the ceiling, as well as a beautiful chandelier. 

            Lina used her flashlight and slowly walked around the room, looking for any clues at all. Towards the far corner, she found another scrap of paper. Once again, this piece was written in the neat handwriting of Sylphiel. 

            **Sept. 10 8:00 PM**

**            I clearly saw the silhouette of a young woman in a kimono a little while ago. She had short dark hair, and it seemed like I was looking at her in an old black and white movie. It was quite disturbing. She appeared to me in the mirror near the entrance, I wonder if she was trying to tell me something…?**

**            She had ropes tied to her ankles, neck, and wrists, and she dragged them along as she walked. I think maybe I heard Xellos say something about a woman like her, maybe…**

**            I don't want to learn anymore about her. I don't know if she's here to help us, or possibly drag us farther in this hellhole. All I know is that there is something very wrong about this mansion.**

Lina shivered. How disturbing. And the description, it sounded like the little girl that had helped her with the door…

            "I don't like it here," Lina mumbled as she placed the scrap away. She continued walking around; maybe she could find something else.

            She was right. Towards the wall farthest on her right, she found another scrap of paper, and another packet of film for her camera. The paper was much like the one she had found signed by Rezo Akahoshi. The same handwriting, and written in the same way. 

            **The mystery of the rope shrine maiden**

**            Among the few documents found on the ritual, mention of the "Rope Shrine Maiden" is made many times. Her arms, legs, and neck are bound by five ropes.**

**            However, no documents show what role she plays in the ritual. **

**            One theory is that she is a sacrificial lamb, but I have trouble believing that such a cruel ritual could ever be practiced.**

**            ~Rezo Akahoshi**

            Lina stared at this for quite a while. Five ropes bound to the arms, legs, and neck? That sounded just like the girl Sylphiel had mentioned! Could that girl possibly be "The Rope Shrine Maiden"?

            Sighing, she wandered back towards the door. There was nothing else of importance in that room. She froze in the middle of the room. Not again. 

            There was that feeling again. It was beginning to get annoying. Very annoying. She struggled to keep her breath even, and an over whelming feeling of panic washed over her.

            She rushed over to the door. From behind her, she could hear the sound of someone moaning. Slowly she turned, and came face to face with a ghostly apparition. 

            She had to bite her lower lip to keep from screaming. The spirit, which was that of a woman with long dark hair, floated up towards the ceiling and then went out of sight.

            Lina's eyes scanned the room for any sign of the ghostly woman, but she was nowhere to be seen. Then, without warning, the spirit appeared again in front of her and with inhuman speed rushed at her, the pale white arms out stretched. 


	8. 1st night: Part seven

Chapter 8:

1st night: Part seven

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Hey! Okay, not much to say about this chapter. But I do have some good news. I'm now working on a very long one-shot L/Z fic. Anyone who does support this coupling, I hope you will be looking out for this story. I'll give out more updates later. Check out my profile for the scoop on it.

Anyway, this chapter will be short. I'm not in the real mood to write something super long at the moment, and I'm preoccupied with my other story currently. But I do promise that the next chapter will be much longer.

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            Lina jumped out of the way, landing hard on her arm and dropping her camera and flashlight. Her flashlight made a _clack _sound as it hit the ground and rolled away. Lina cradled her hurt arm and sat up slowly. Already, the spirit was heading back towards her.  Without thinking, Lina rolled to the side, and closer to her camera. 

            Standing up, Lina took a step towards her camera. She was concentrating on the camera to hard, however. The spirit had turned around and was dashing towards her. Lina spun around and tried to avoid it, but it was inevitable. The spirit charged her and, using a very powerful force, threw her back. Lina wasn't sure how hard she had hit the far wall, but it was hard enough to crack the wood.

            She stood, despite however painful it was, and started back towards her camera. Her sunset hair slipped out of the neat ponytail and fell down her back in tumbles. 

            The spirit had disappeared once again. Lina ran towards her camera. Just then, out of nowhere, the spirit appeared again and rushed forwards. Jumping with all her force, Lina grabbed the camera and tumbled out of the path of the spirit woman. The spirit swung around and came after her again, but this time Lina was ready. Without hesitation, she pressed the shutter and jumped to her feet. 

            Lina sprinted across the room and spun on her heel, allowing the camera to charge. The ghost went out of sight again, but Lina waited. She had learned the pattern of this spirit. Sure enough, just like previous times, the ghost appeared and rushed towards Lina. Once Lina felt the camera was charged enough, Lina allowed her finger the privilege of pressing the shutter. 

            The spirit shrieked and Lina watched as it was pulled into her photo. Sighing, Lina relaxed slightly, which wasn't very easy considering where she was. Lina stood up after a moment, grabbed her flashlight, and walked over to the large tapestry hanging from the ceiling. She didn't want to do it, but at this point she had no choice.

            Carefully, Lina tore off a small section of the tapestry. The material was smooth and soft. She wrapped it around her arm, where it starting to swell slightly, and tied it. She felt bad about ruining something of such beauty; it was probably the prettiest thing in the mansion.

            Lina left the large room and entered the hallway. She headed down the hall to the only other door available. Carefully, she opened it and stepped inside.

            Inside, there was a long walkway that led into the room. Lina walked down the walkway and turned into the room. 

            The room wasn't very big, and it was very dark. But Lina could make out a few shapes, there was what looked like a dresser or a shelf, and several broken pieces of furniture spread out. There was a table littered with broken candle pieces, two doors, and a high shelf on one of the walls. Lina looked around carefully, her eyes looking for anything out of the ordinary. And then, right in front of her, it happened.

            A young woman with long dark hair walked right by her, and then vanished. Lina, startled by the sudden appearance, took a step back and let out a small gasp. She quickly regained control and calmed herself. Sighing, she began to search the room.

            She walked slowly over to the table. Using her good arm, she reached out and fumbled through the candle pieces. She searched for a brief moment before her hand struck something unusual. Lifting it up into the light of her flashlight, Lina discovered it was a scroll of some sort. Written on it were several characters, ones she recognized as kanji for numbers. They were scribbled down in dark red ink, and for a moment gave Lina the impression they were written in blood. 

            Lina shuddered and rolled the scroll up to place in her bag. That was a disturbing thought. But, because she was in Mikumora Mansion, it wasn't completely out of line. 

            Continuing on her search, Lina walked over to the shelf. It was well above her head, making it hard to reach, especially with her hurt arm. Taking the camera in her injured arm, she lifted up her other hand and led it along the shelf. Soon, she felt something soft, not like the feel of the shelf. She pulled it down; it was a small scrap of paper!

            Bringing up her flashlight, Lina read through it. It was written in the neat script of Sylphiel, which didn't surprise her. 

            **Sept. 11, 6:30 AM**

**            I saw that girl in the kimono again. I know she's trying to tell me something; I just can't figure it out. Her name… I know what it is… it's… Amelia. Amelia, yes, that sounds right. That's all I can come up with.**

**            I shouldn't get any closer than this. I don't want to. To say I'm scared is a very large understatement. I'm terrified. After what happened to Xellos… that poor man, I feel so sorry for him. I don't know what to do… Mr. Gabrief and I can't get out, what are we going to do? I… I'm so afraid, so very afraid… what will happen to us? The same thing that happened to Xellos? Oh god, protect us… I don't know what I'm going to do… I just don't know!**

Lina placed it in her bag. Poor Sylphiel, to have to face that… to have to know what was going to happen… Lina shuddered. She didn't want to think about it. 

            Lina sighed. She was going to have a great time in this place… a wonderful, happy time. Yeah right. This place was just cover up for a real hellhole. Sylphiel had said it, and Lina believed it.  


	9. 1st night: Part eight

Chapter 9:

1st night: Part eight 

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Whoa you guys review quick! Ah well, I was thinking about working on this chapter anyway. I have great news, though. I finally beat the first boss without my game freezing on me! I'm now ahead of the story, so I shouldn't have much trouble describing the backgrounds. It'll make my life sooo much more easier! ^_^ Anyway, Here we go, a longer chapter, just like promised. At least, I think it's longer…

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            Lina walked over to the far door. There was a talisman of some sort on it. She tried to open it, but it held fast. She thought for a moment.

            "Maybe…" She said a loud, looking at the talisman. "Maybe this talisman is what's holding it closed?" She thought for a moment, maybe her camera could reveal a clue?

            Stepping back on the wooden floorboards, Lina brought her camera to her eye, holding her flashlight in her other hand. Aiming carefully, Lina pressed the shutter. Pulling the photo out of the slit, Lina looked it over carefully. Instead of the old brownish paper with symbols drawn on it, there was what looked like a large chest or trunk, and a latter leading up somewhere…

            Lina thought for a moment. How odd, a chest and a latter. She hadn't been to a room like that. 

Sighing, Lina wandered over to the other door. This one sat beside the tall dresser. The dresser, she now noticed, had several candlesticks standing on it. Lina slowly opened the heavy door. It swung open, revealing an old room with very rotten floorboards.

            The room had broken pieces of wood everywhere. The room was scattered with broken furniture. Lina looked around carefully. There, on the floor beside the door, was a piece of old tattered paper. Kneeling down, Lina carefully looked it over. 

            **Give thanks to the Five Gods' protection.**

**            Place the stone, representing the Five Mirrors, in the correct location.**

            Lina raised an eyebrow while thinking. Carefully, she placed the paper with her other notes and stood up. Looking around once more, Lina noticed another piece of paper on the floor. It wasn't written in Sylphiel's handwriting, or in Xellos'. 

            **Sept. 10, 9:30 AM**

**            We found Metalium's body. He died in a cruel, gruesome manner, just as in old legends. His arms, legs, and neck were all strangled off… just like the religions and rituals the Mikumora—or Seilloon, whatever they called themselves--- family practiced. **

**            There was a photo of Metalium near his remains. In it, it showed ropes tied to his arms, legs, and neck. A sign, that's the only thing I can think of as to what the ropes symbolized. **

**            This may have something to do with the "Rope Shrine Maidens" here. The girls would have ropes tied to their body as well; I just hope that Sylphiel and I are safe. Somehow, however, I know that whatever did this to Xellos is after us as well. **

**            Sept. 10, 12:10 PM**

**            Sylphiel is acting strangely. She keeps mumbling about ropes and mirrors. This place has gotten to her as well. At this rate, her condition is only going to grow worse and worse. I can't blame her for going to pieces, after seeing what happened to Xellos. She must see some peace in her state of insanity--- or whatever it is that she is suffering from--- otherwise she would be here as I am, waiting, praying, and fearing the worst. I fear I may be going close to insanity myself.**

Lina suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach. It wasn't as though she had been hurt, however, it was a sudden queasiness and fearful feeling. Her brother, what if he had been 'claimed' by the mansion and it's haunting inhabitants? Lina took a few deep breaths and calmed herself down. She couldn't break down now and loose hope. She would find her brother. She _had_ to. 

            Relaxing slightly, Lina placed the piece of paper in her bag and took one last look around the room. From what she could see she hadn't missed anything. Turning around, she left the broken up room and entered the room filled with candles. She took a quick glance at the sealed door before leaving. 

            Once again in the long hallway, Lina walked over to the only other door left. It was locked, she knew that, but maybe she could find a way to open it, or maybe pick the lock if she had to. It was then that she got a good look at the lock. It was a special lock, in the form of a number dial. There must be some sort of combination. The numbers started with zero, and worked their way counter-clockwise around the circular tablet ending in nine. 

            Lina thought for a moment. She must have something that could help. Carefully, she pulled off her bag, wincing slightly at the sharp pain in her arm, and knelt down with it. She went through all her items. There was the stone mirror, all the scraps and articles, and then that scroll. Wait, the scroll! Lifting it out of the bag, Lina looked at it carefully. She hadn't bothered to really look it over before.  On it, it had several numbers that were written in red ink instead of black; the numbers 1; 3; 1; and 2. Maybe that was the combination?

            Lina gently punched in the numbers. There was a soft clicking noise from the lock. Lina put the scroll away and tried the door. It swung open with ease. 

`           Lina stepped in and her eyes grew wide. There, standing in front of her just beside a dresser and a latter, was her brother. 

            "Zel!" Lina began to run, but her foot caught on the edge of something and she tripped. She fell and slammed into the ground, her arm ached and her flashlight rolled away. She let out a small moan as she searched for her flashlight. Finding it, she stood up and shown it upon the area her brother had been. 

            Lina let out a tiny gasp. It wasn't her brother, but the young girl from before! "It's you!" she managed through her chapped lips. She suddenly felt a surge of anger. "Who are you? What do you want? Where is my brother?" She demanded. 

            The girl said nothing; she only took a step forwards. Lina's heart began to beat faster and her breath was suddenly shallow. The girl gently brought up a pale finger and tapped Lina's injured arm. Lina felt a rush of cold and then she felt nothing. No pain, not heat or cold, nothing. Lina gently touched her arm and put pressure where it had hurt. But still she felt nothing. The girl stepped back and then pointed to behind the latter.

            "This way," She beckoned. Slowly, she began to disappear. Lina stepped forward.

            "Wait! Don't go!" But the girl had already disappeared. "Who… who are you?" Lina mumbled. She thought of something that Sylphiel had said. "Could you be… Amelia…?"  


	10. 1st night: Part nine

Chapter 10:

1st night: Part nine

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Hey all! First off, I hope you guys are enjoying this story!

Second, to Shadow Knight2: I thank you very much for your wonderful praise. It's reviews like yours that really give me a jump-start to really crank out some chapters! As for the idea about the scraps: keep in mind that these scraps did come from a log or journal at one point, and that they were ripped out at some point. But I will take that idea and use it. Thanks for the tip. (By the way, just so you know, there are some _helpful _spirits that may have something to do with the random papers… HINT HINT) Anyway, because you asked so nicely, I think that I'm going to really work hard on this chapter!

Third, to Kayn: Thank you for reviewing as I asked. For my spelling and grammar problems, Sorry! ^_^;;; I try to run a spell check on it when I'm done, but every so often it slips my mind… Anyway, thanks for the tips and such. This isn't my first horror story, but the other ones weren't that good… 

Um… okay, here's the chapter.

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            The room was incredibly dark, and Lina couldn't see two feet in front of her with out her flashlight. Her newly healed arm stayed by the wall as she carefully made her way through the room in which she had determined to be a storehouse. There were numerous boxes and shelves around, as well as a few dressers. Off in the corner to her upper right, there was a suit of armor that had marks as though it had been used. 

            Lina wandered over to the latter eventually. Her heart and breath picked up speed and Lina felt a strange pulling motion towards behind it. Carefully, Lina pulled up her camera and aimed behind the latter. The instant the camera was up, the feeling increased. Lina struggled to control her shagged breath as she carefully timed her shot.  Then, she let her finger press down on the shutter. 

            There was a quick flash and the photo slipped out the tiny slot. Then, out of nowhere, the few chests behind the latter that obstructed her view of the tiny space began to move. Lina only had a spilt second to hit the floor and cover her head just as one of the heavy chests went flying above her head, smashing anything in it's path. It went straight into the door, breaking off of its hinges and crashed into the hallway. Lina curled up into a ball as she heard the wood on the door spilt and break. Debris fell and bounced around her head. 

            Lina took in a deep breath and tried to calm herself. This room was filled to the rim with spiritual energy. Her chest was tight and her heart was beating so fast she feared it would explode. Slowly, her heart began to calm and her breath returned. Gently, she sat up and her hand went to her heart. Gasping for breath, Lina turned and looked towards the door, using her flashlight for light. She turned slowly to face the area the chest had flown from. 

            There, where the chest had obscured her vision, was a talisman. Right before her eyes, it irrupted into a burning crimson flame. Lina was taken back by this sudden happening, but quickly remembered where she was. The thing was, the talisman looked identical to the one in the room filled with candles. She bit her lower lip and sighed. What other things lay dormant in this mansion waiting to be awakened? 

            Sighing, Lina stood up and took another good look around. There didn't look to be anything on the ground level, but what about up the latter? Lina gently set down her camera and flashlight and carefully took hold of the first step. The latter shook, but held. Lina grabbed her flashlight and put it in her pocket, and with one hand holding the camera and the other holding on to the latter, Lina began to climb up. 

            When she finally reached the top, Lina pulled out her flashlight and looked around. There was a small dresser pressed up against the back wall, and a very narrow board that at the end held some boxes filled with books. Lina glanced around carefully. She wandered over and checked the drawers of the dresser. Inside there was a very old newspaper article.  

            **The girl who was missing for about three days from the Mikumoru mountain area has been found. Though rumored to have been snatched away by ghosts, the young girl is in fairly good health. She shows sign of fatigue and weariness, but no real injuries appear on her body. The police are waiting for the girl to return to full health before questioning about the other three children. **

**            But the child's hardships are only beginning, for her parents have also seemingly gone missing. The police are currently looking for a foster home for the poor child. **

Lina's heart seemed to soften slightly. The poor child was probably so frightened. But how long ago had this article been published? Lina couldn't find the date on it, but she expected it to be very old. 

            Lina gently put the article away and glanced back into the drawers. There was one more scrap of paper. Lifting it up, Lina realized that it was written in Rezo Akahoshi's handwriting. Lina scanned over it slowly.

            **The disaster called "Calamity"**

**            Long ago, great tragedy struck this region. One legend calls this event "The Calamity", but reveals no detail involving the event in anyway. **

**            One source refers to the events as "The Five Mirrors of the Five Gods promise of protection shattered above the earths rumbling surface, and souls climbed up from the pits of hell and returned to this world".  I wonder what it truly means, because the passage can't be literal. **

"The Five Mirrors of the Five God's promise of protection…" Lina repeated. "Shattered above the Earth's rumbling surface… could that have anything to do with the earthquake that caused the Holy Mirrors to break…?" Lina shook her head slightly and put it away. A chill suddenly went down her spine. Lina scurried down the latter and out of the room. 

            She wandered back to the room with the candles. She had seen the talisman burn up in front of her, maybe this one had as well. Carefully, she checked the door.

            "No more talisman," Lina mumbled to her self. "The door is open," She swung open the old door. It made a loud creak that echoed through out the not so empty halls. 

            There, she faced a small hall that led to an open porch. She walked towards the porch. The floorboards, like in many of the rooms, were wooden. When she reached the porch, she got a good look around. 

Facing out towards the porch, to her right, there was a very small walkway that was partially fenced off, but the fence had rotten holes in it, so she could see through. It led to a door. The porch, all the way across, there was another door. There was a small set of steps that led into the yard. In the yard, a small coble stone walkway led to a shrine.   To the right side of the shrine, there was an old cherry blossom tree that looked like it hadn't blossomed in many years, and a very big door.

Lina began to walk towards the far door. Then, out of nowhere, a pale woman with long dark hair walked right by her. Lina held back a startled cry and watched. The woman seemed to disappear. Shaking slightly, Lina wandered over to where the spirit had disappeared. Nothing. Lina pulled her jacket around her more tightly as a breeze picked up. The moon was in view, so round and bright. It was nights like these in which you should fear the moon, the moon and everything it revealed in it's white light. 

Lina shuddered and started down the steps. It was when the moon struck her when she realized that she had already made her first mistake. That was entering the mansion. But now, now the mistake was much worse. Lina had angered something she wasn't ready to deal with. Something that should have stayed buried where it was. Something that even her brother must have feared.


	11. 1st night: Part ten

Chapter 11:

1st night: Part ten

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Oh! Did I disappoint you, Shadow Knight? I'm sorry! *Scolds herself* Anyway, I'm real sorry about the length of the last few chapters. School has kept me really busy; my teachers are so mean! So much homework, and half the time I don't have my computer so I can't work on the chapters. Anyway, I promise you that this chapter will be longer! It's good to know that I have several people engrossed in my work! If you have any suggestions on how I can improve, please send them in!

Oh! And one more thing, this chapter will have several things that the game doesn't, so don't hurt me!

I have finally reached the 2nd night in my game! Yay!

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            The overwhelming feel of fear swept over her body like a wave of cold air. Lina shuddered fiercely and pulled her jacket over her body. But despite her efforts, no warmth reached her body. Lina chocked back a fearful shriek of terror as a white figure flickered in and out of view. 

            She took a step back, then another, completely overwhelmed by her strong emotions. Terror written in her eyes, she scanned the area slowly. Another flicker, and before she realized it, the figure was right there. She received a better look at the spirit than she had ever wanted. The spirits eyes were half open, and had dark lines under them, as if she had not slept in days. Shoulder length dark hair, and skin as pale as snow covered her. She wore a kimono, and on her wrists, ankles, and neck she dragged long ropes.

            The figure stared at her with cold and dark eyes, eyes that had no feeling, no human emotion. The woman reached for Lina, her thin pale arm out stretched until it almost touched her. With out thinking, Lina gently moved one hand up. A cold sensation rushed through her as she made contact; Lina's eyes widened as images flooded her thoughts. 

            **A young girl sat by a windowsill. Her short raven hair glimmered in the bright sun as her deep blue eyes looked down onto the garden. The garden was small, the only colors being green and the occasional flourish of a red rose. A sudden glimmer of color caught her eyes. Looking on, she noticed that the color was coming from a young man. Her had soft dark hair and icy blue eyes. **

**            The man walked through the garden, admiring its beauty. Then, he gently glanced up towards the giant house that towered over it. He caught sight of the young girl. She felt her face become hot as a deep shade of red crossed her cheeks. Without hesitation, she ducked back inside, hiding away from sight. **

Lina jolted back into the present time. 'Amelia' glanced over her shoulder, as though she thought someone was watching her. Then, without warning, she vanished. Lina watched as her body faded from view. "Amelia! Wait!" 

            Too late. Amelia was gone. The feeling of danger disappeared as Amelia had, and Lina slowly regained control. It was then that her flashlight glimmered on something on the floor, right where Amelia had stood… er, hovered. Kneeling down, Lina discovered a set of photos. Lina carefully lifted them up. In one, there was the image of a very old water wheel, and in the other the image of a shelf filled with Japanese dolls.

            Lina swallowed and placed them with her other scraps. Lina began to move down the steps again. This time, no feeling of fear awaited her. She moved down to the large door in the field and gently placed her ear to it. From the other side she heard the sound of running water. Her eyes widened and she carefully opened the door. 

            Inside, or rather outside, there were four lanterns on large stone bases. One of them wasn't lit. To her right there was a large water wheel, just like in her photo. And to her left the house resided. Right behind the lanterns, a large swamp like area resided, with a broken bridge that was used to go across. 

            As Lina neared the water wheel, she suddenly had the feeling like someone was there. Lina turned on her heel, moving her flashlight in front of her. She went around in a circle for a brief moment, before her back was to the wheel. Where was that voice coming from? There was again, a soft whisper, just above the peep of a mouse. Lina spun around, and her flashlight glimmered on a small red audiotape on the ground. 

The moment her hand touched it, Lina's eyes widened as more images flashed through her head. 

             **Sylphiel struggled, her hands tight on her assailant's wrists. She could feel the air slipping from her lungs, her life slowly slipping away. With a few tight breaths, she tried once more to free herself from the pale white woman trying to squeeze the life from her. **

**            "Mr. Gabrief!" She gasped through her suffocating lungs. Finally, the pale hand released her. Sylphiel coughed and eagerly took in several breaths, her hand rushing to her throat. It was then that she noticed the imprints on her hands. Rope marks. Without warning, Sylphiel fell, no breath coming to her lungs, no heartbeat. She just fell dead. **

**            Standing above her lifeless body, a woman with dark hair in a white kimono looked down. Ropes resided on her wrists, ankles, and neck. Behind her, Gabrief looked on in horror.**

**            "Amelia!" He gasped. The woman turned and glared at him with cold, lifeless eyes. **

Lina jolted back to the present. Her shagged breath slowly started to come back. She coughed slightly and lifted the tape up. She hesitated in putting it in her player. She didn't _want _to hear it. Shaking her head, she put the tape away and stood up.She shuddered slightly and examined the waterwheel. Out of seemingly nowhere, two hands sprang up out of the water and reached for her. 

            Lina's finger pressed on the shutter as she took a startled step back. The hands disappeared. Lina pulled out the photo and looked at it. Instead of two ghostly white hands, there was the mirror image of a talisman. It was at this point that Lina was able to get a good look at it. It was a talisman to ward off evil powers, she realized. 

            Calming down, Lina began to wander around. The strange thing was, as she neared the shore of the swamp, it grew foggy and she could swear she saw a few lights shimmering in the distance. As she neared the lantern that wasn't lit, her heart seemed to skip a beat and suddenly felt drawn to it. She bit her lower lip slightly and pulled up her camera. 

            Slowly, she aimed at the lantern. She pressed the shutter and waited for the photo. Lifting it up in the light, she looked it over carefully.

            "The lantern in this photo," She said. "Is lit…"

            Sighing, she put the photo away and headed back to the house; another loose-ended puzzle. As she entered Lina took another look around. From what she saw, she had two choices. She could go to one door, or the other. Lina walked over to the closest door and check it. There was a burnt up talisman on the door. Lina placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it. The door opened without much force. 

            The room was small. On both the left and right walls, there was a long display shelf. On each a large set of Japanese dolls sat on a large red mat. At the far wall, a large doll sat. The doll was kept away from the other by a set of sacred ropes. As Lina neared this doll, she felt a sudden presence. Out of nowhere, a child suddenly appeared and ran right through her. 

            Lina braced herself, but felt nothing as the child past through her body. Then, as though on a cue, the sound of laughter reached her ears. Children laughing. She turned roughly when she thought she heard the sound running on the floorboards. Lina turned again and found herself staring at the large doll. She slowly backed towards the door.

            Then, in a sudden rush, a hand lashed out and grabbed her ankle. Lina shrieked and tried to pull her leg free. In one swift motion, the spirit pulled her leg out from under her. Lina hit the floor hard. Her camera bounced away from her. For a split second, Lina wondered if the camera could take much more abuse, but that didn't last long.

            "Let go!" She cried, looking back at whatever had pulled her down. It was a child, a pale white child, with a very strong grip. "Let me go now!"

            The child ghost crawled up so that it was on top of her. Lina peered into its eyes. They were empty, filled with nothing but pain. The spirit lifted it arm up as far as it would go. Lina's eyes widened as she realized what it was going to do.


	12. 1st night: Part eleven

Chapter 12:

1st night: Part eleven

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YAY! We have reached 20 reviews!!! This calls for celebration! To thank you all for reviewing, I am going to make this chapter a little more interesting than the others. Maybe a little longer, too… anyway, keep sending in those reviews! And I'll keep updating!

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            Biting down on her lower lip, Lina used her arms and pushed her body away. The spirit brought its arm down a spilt second later, It's arm passing through the wooden floorboards. Lina scrambled for her camera, backing up into a corner. The spirit child began to slowly crawl towards her. 

            Lina aimed downward, waiting for the camera to charge. As the ghost neared, it's speed increased. Lina held her breath as she pressed down on the shutter. The child stopped in its tracks, stunned. Lina took this split second to run to another corner. The spirit once again began to crawl towards her. 

            Lina took a step back as the spirit neared, and accidentally hit the doll case behind her. She tumbled backward, knocking over the dolls and the cases. Biting back a cry of surprise as she landed hard on the floor, Lina pushed herself back till her back was to the wall. The spirit sat up and glared at her, cold and lifeless eyes narrowed down into a harsh accusation. Lina lifted up her camera and began to charge it. 

            The spirit jumped at her, it's long arms out stretched. Lina ducked down, cover in her head. The child flew above her and landed into the wall. Lina turned and pressed down on the shutter button, and then ran back to another corner. The spirit sat still, lying against the wall as though it had actually felt the impact of hitting the wall.

            Lina waited until her camera reached full charge, and then took the shot. The ghost let out a harsh shriek that caused Lina to hold her ringing ears. And then, like the others, it was pulled into the photo.

            Lina sighed as she picked the photo up off the ground. This was beginning to become a bad habit. Slowly, she walked back towards he door. Her hand rested on the doorknob for a brief moment before she turned it and entered the porch again.

            Her hand slid over the old and rotted wooden rail as she trailed towards the far door. The moon provided enough light that she didn't need her flashlight, so it rested in her bag. Then, caching her off guard, there was a high-pitched shriek. She jumped away just as the ghostly figure of a woman appeared falling from the roof to the ground.

            Her hand flew to her heart, trying to steady it before it burst through her tight chest. She swallowed the lump in her throat and slowly walked over to the rail. She carefully leaned over the rail and glanced down. There, on the ground, lie nothing. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Giving the camera a slight squeeze for reassurance, she began to walk towards the far door again. 

            Upon reaching it, Lina looked it over carefully. Finding no talisman to block her entrance, she turned the doorknob and entered the darkness. She clicked on her flashlight and took a look around.

            A few yards in front of her, there was a large staircase that led to a higher level. After that, there was a hallway leading to the left, and a mirror to the right. The floor, like most of the other rooms, was wooden and seemed unsound. She shined her flashlight at the mirror, and something on the ground reflected the light. Lina walked up and knelt down. 

            A small lighter was acting as a paperweight for scrap of paper. Lina picked it up and examined it. It was dusty, as though it had been there for a long time, and the dust around it seemed undisturbed. She brushed off the dust ad looked at it closely. It had the initials G.G. on it.

            A sudden gust of wind that came out of seemingly nowhere (Literally, nowhere,) sent the scrap of paper tumbling down the hallway. Lina stood up and chased it, but no matter how fast she ran, kit stayed ahead of her. It finally settled down a few feet from a door that ended the hallway. Once again, Lina knelt down to pick it up.

            Lina glanced up as the room temperature seemed to drop. She let out a small cry as she tried to back away. In front of her stood a tall woman. She had dark raven hair that went just below her shoulders, and rather recent clothing. 

            She reached out for Lina, who only backed away. Without realizing it, Lina pressed down on the shutter button. She glanced down at the camera, and then back at the woman, but she had disappeared. Lina caught control of herself and picked up the scrap. 

            **Sept. 13, 3 PM**

**            Sylphiel's condition is getting worse. She can't stop shaking and she mumbles about broken mirrors and a woman named Amelia. I fear it's only a matter of time before this haunted mansion takes its toll on me as well. Ever since we found Metalium's dismembered body… I think we've released something… something terrible. This mansion… it's not right… it brings more meaning to the phrase, "Hell on Earth". But there is something seriously wrong here… very, very wrong…**

Lina closed her eyes and put the scrap away. She stood up again, just as another piece of paper seemed to float by her. Startled, Lina took a step back and slipped. She landed hard on the floor, and the paper settled beside her.

            She let out a slight moan as she rubbed her sore back. "What in the name of- what was that?" She picked up the "Haunted floating paper" and looked it over. (AN: I'm sorry, that must seem pretty silly, but I couldn't help it!)

            **Sept.8, 1:40 PM**

**            My sixth sense is telling me that there are children playing here… I can't see them, but they are calling to me. They're playing… tag, or hide and seek maybe… They might be the children in that photo…**

            **Sept. 8, 4:30**

**            There were human heads in that room! So many! All killed by the family master… I can't take it! This mansion… it's evil… it has such a horrible aura and past… Oh god, what will I do?**

**            I should never have come here! I should have trusted my sixth sense!**

Lina sighed and put the scrap in her bag. She stood up once again and walked over to the door. Carefully, She grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. 

            Inside, there were several stone ledges, connected by several long wooden planks. It was musky and the sound of dripping water echoed throughout the small room. All the way across the room, there was a door. Slowly, Lina started across the first plank. Carefully choosing her footing, she made her way across to the second ledge. Lina peaked over the edge on one side.  Underneath it was like a small sewer. The ground was covered in murky water. 

            It was then that the soft echo of whispers reached her ears. She spun on her heel and glared into the dark surrounding area. But nothing was there. Slowly, she turned around and started to walk again. Her heart began to race as fast as a humming bird's, and she began to struggle for breath. Then, slowly, two pale white hands crept over her shoulders. Her eyes widened as she spun around.

            There stood the same woman from before, Sylphiel, Lina suspected. Her cold, dark eyes looking at her with nothing.  Lina let out a cry as she backed away to get some distance between her and the spirit. 

            Sylphiel slowly hovered towards her, her arms out stretched, searching for her. Lina grabbed her camera and lifted it up to take a shot. Sylphiel turned and began to wander towards the wall, giving Lina more time to charge. As soon as the camera was charged, Lina let a full charged shot loose. Sylphiel faltered for a moment, and then continued mindlessly wandering around. 

            Lina began to charge again, when Sylphiel disappeared. She scanned the area, without finding anything. It was then that she felt the sudden rush of cold around her arms and the sudden feeling of loosing energy. She let out a loud cry as she struggled to get out of Sylphiel's grip.

            She stumbled away, struggling to breath through her tight chest. Without waiting, she snapped a photo. Sylphiel screamed and then vanished. Lina slowly relaxed as much as she could. Her shoulders slumped slightly, and a strap of her bag slipped down her arm. A few papers fell out of the bag as Lina pulled the strap back onto her shoulder. She knelt down to pick them up, when a gleam caught her eye.

            It was the photo she had taken of the lantern. Then, a thought struck her. The lantern in the photo was lit, but the real lantern wasn't. She could use the lighter she had found to light it.

            Lina smiled slightly as she put the photo and the papers away. Without a word, she stood up and walked over to the door that led back to the hallway.


	13. 1st night: Part twelve

Chapter 13:

1st night: Part twelve

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Hi hi! Thanks much for reviewing! I guess I should update now! ~^.^~ Anyway, here be the next chapter, as promised!

P.S. Thanks for the compliment, Shadow Knight! It means a lot! Who knows? I may just be encouraged to write longer chapters with more reviews like that! But, alas, this chapter shall be only a shorter one. It's a school night and I need to get plenty of rest. *Sigh***** I would much rather work on chapters than go to school!  Oh well… 

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            Lina hurried to wards the dark and dreary swamp area. She really didn't want to see any apparitions; her heart was still beating so fast she could swear it was going to burst.  As she pushed open the door, Lina calmed slightly. She ran over to the unlit lantern. Carefully, she used the lighter to light it. 

            There was the sound of something unlocking, and she heard the sound of stone sliding across stone. Carefully, Lina stood on her tiptoes to look at the top of the lantern. Sure enough, the top had slid open, revealing a compartment. Lina reached up and used her hand to feel around inside. Her hand brushed something smooth that had been craved by hand. Lina pulled it out, and unwillingly lost her well-placed balance.

            She winced as she hit the hard dirt, her knee scraped across the rough surface of the lantern, creating a rather painful scrape. Lina bit her lower lip and gently blew across the wound, wincing as the cool air stung deeply. She huffed and stood, her leg wobbled slightly, but she ignored the pain, determined, as well as stubborn. Using her flashlight, she looked over her recovered artifact.

            It was a smooth stone, with a symbol carved into it and painted black. It was obvious that someone had put a lot of time and care into it. Lina shuddered. The thought of _anyone _putting and type of care or love into this place seemed… _unheard _of. Lina thought for a brief moment. Where had she seen a symbol like this before…? It seemed so… _familiar_… She thought hard. And then, it came to her. 

            "There was… a symbol… like this… on a door… but _where_?" She let out a frustrated growl and put the carving away. She would figure it out, sometime. Lina sighed and headed back towards the large porch area.

            The porch was quiet, without even the sound of wind against the roof. It sent a rough chill down Lina's spine. Slowly, she walked past the old rotten cherry blossom tree, and nearly jumped out of her skin. Out of nowhere, a woman appeared, hanging by her neck from the tree. Her short black slipped over her shoulder, and her eyes stared at Lina as though she wasn't there.

            "_The children…_" The woman beckoned, a spark filling her empty eyes, a spark of pain and fear. Lina felt her hands unconsciously cover her mouth, to keep from screaming. "_Where have… the children gone…?_" The apparition vanished, leaving Lina to regain her composure. She would only have a split second, however, because the moment the woman disappeared, another spirit appeared. This one wasn't as subdued as the previous.

            It was a woman, or at least, what Lina thought was a woman. She couldn't see her head, however, for the spirit had died terribly. Its neck was so badly broken that it hung back behind its shoulder blades. Lina felt her stomach go tight, as the sickening sight grew nearer. On reflex, Lina lifted up her camera and allowed it to charge. 

            She unleashed the charged power. The spirit shrieked, and then disappeared. Lina calmed slightly, pondering on how easy that battle was. 

            Lina put away the photo she had taken and headed towards the path to the large hallway. Lina gently pulled open the door and headed inside, and jumped backwards. There, rolling _up _the stairs was a severed human head. Lina made a sound as though she was going to be sick; that was just disgusting! Lina closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Calming slightly, Lina caught herself and decided to head up the stairs.

            The floorboards creaked, sending a chill down her spine. She carefully walked up, her hand trailing the rail. As she reached the upper level, she looked around. It was more of an indoor balcony than an upper level. To her right, there was a small alcove, and to her left it was something like a looking area. Straight ahead, there was a door tat appeared to be boarded up. Her flashlight shinned upon a scrap on the floor. Lina walked up and lifted it up. She noticed that it was in Rezo's handwriting, which didn't surprise her much…

            **The Legend of the Holy Mirrors**

**            (The Five Mirrors of the Gods)**

**            The five mirrors, held in the five shrines in this region, are most commonly known as the "Five Mirrors of the Gods". The legend says that the five gods, before leaving this world, left the mirrors as a way of protecting the villages. **

**            Another legend mentions another mirror. This mirror, or the "True Holy Mirror", was supposedly used with the other five mirrors in a ritual to fend off some great disaster. (I'm not sure if the legend is referring to the Calamity or not,)**

**            It's unknown if the ritual mentioned above is related in any way to the Seilloon family or not, but the mirrors seem to play an important part anyway. **

**            It's also unknown if this "True Holy Mirror" actually exists, or if it just used to keep children from feeling afraid at night. **

"The… _True _Holy Mirror…?" Lina repeated, surprised. She knew about the mirrors, everyone did, but she had never heard of a "True Holy Mirror"… how odd. More questions, that's all it led to. Sighing, she put it with the others and glanced around. Another piece of paper rested on the ground, the dust around it untouched. She walked over and lifted it up to view. 

            It was a newspaper article.

            **The girl who disappeared for three days has been adopted. Mr. Inverse, a close friend with Mr. Akahoshi and his wife, has taken the small child in his own care. As the police are still searching for any sign of the missing parents, Mr. Inverse has told the media about his own thoughts.**

**            "It's a very unfortunate turn that has happened, I just pray the girl isn't too traumatized," Says Mr. Inverse as he takes the child home. We can only pray and give the family the best of wishes.**

Lina's eyes widened in surprise; it couldn't be… could it…? Inverse… her last name… was it possible that… Lina recalled something her father had said. Her grandmother had been adopted… could she have been the little girl…? But that would mean that her own past was intertwined with this mansion! 

            Lina shuddered about the possibility. But it only made her more determined. If her past truly had something to do with this mansion, then Lina was going to figure out the secrets it held, and mystery of all the terror that had been unleashed in the past. Now, she wasn't only looking for her brother, she was looking for answers.


	14. 1st night: Final part

Chapter 14:

1st night: Part thirteen

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Well, Shadow Knight, all those nice and long, as well as flattering, reviews have paid off. This chapter will be possibly the longest yet. And, there's another reason to celebrate. This chapter marks the end of the first night!!!! Yay! Don't worry, though! This story will still have many, many more chapters till the end. So here we go!

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             Lina descended the stairs slowly, still pondering on this turn of events. She sighed when she reached the bottom. She thought for a moment, where to next? She sighed once more and began down the hallway. She went to he very last door and opened it slowly. 

            The door swung open, and the only light it revealed was that her flashlight produced, and the reflection of the water. The sound of dripping water once again reached her ears, and she shuddered as she remembered the earlier events that had taken place here. Slowly, and carefully, she entered and headed across the wooden boards to the other side of the room. 

            As she cross the middle board, Lina nearly let out a shocked cry.  The water wasn't clear, or murky, but red. Red as blood. She winced slightly as a drip of water tapped her nose. She brought her hand to brush it off, but it wasn't water. It was sticky, and felt different. She brought her flashlight up and looked at the tips of her fingers. Dark red. 

            Lina let out a fearful shout and dashed to the other side of the room. Using her knees for support, She slowly caught her breath, and found what she was looking for. In front of her there was a door. But, to her disappointment, it was a simple door. There weren't any symbols or numbers on it. Just a door. 

            Sighing, Lina gently placed her hand on the doorknob. She did not want to go back across, and this was her only path at the moment. Slowly, she opened it.

            She was outside, on a small path. On both sides of her, there was a long fence, providing a space just small enough for her to walk though with out feeling of being squished.  Slowly, she walked along the path. Beneath her feet, there were freshly fallen green leaves that made a soft shuffling sound as she trod across them. 

            She emerged from the fenced area into a much larger area, and quickly switched off her flashlight. The moon was still quite bright, and it was easy for her to see. To her right, there was a small shed. The large area grew smaller until it became a small path that was lined with bare trees. Just before the trees one the right side, right against the fence, there was a small stone well.

            Lina slowly began to approach the well. The closer she grew, the louder the sound of a child became. She froze as a sudden tingle ran down her spine. She spun on her heel and looked behind her. Nothing. But the voice was still talking- no, _pleading_- to her. Slowly, she looked up.

            There, in a window that was barred off, was a small pale girl in a white kimono. It was the girl that Lina had seen before, the one who had healed her. 

            "_Help me! Please!_" The little girl pleaded, grasping the bars on the window. She had a rather desperate expression on her face, and was shaking slightly. "_Help…_" Slowly, the girl faded out.

            "Wait a minute! Don't-" She didn't get to finish, the girl was gone. "Go…" 

            Lina sighed and turned around again, only to nearly fall back in surprise. In front of her, it was the girl! "Y-you!" Lina stuttered slightly, surprised and shocked. The girl looked at her slowly, and then reached out for her hand. Lina slowly raised her hand until they met. A sudden rush reached her, and then several pictures appeared in her mind.

            **Two hands worked quickly, taking several small dolls and examining them slowly. One hand grasped the doll's right arm, and in a swift motion, ripped it off. The doll seemed to bleed like a human, red liquid slowly crawled down its rough wooden surface. In front of the figure, four other dolls stood. Each had a specific part of it taken off, much like the one before hand, one with no head, one with no left arm, and one for each leg. And each seemed like it was bleeding. No… it _was_ bleeding. **

**            The dolls were arranged in a certain fashion, inside a box that had around nine sections. It was arranged much like a body. The doll missing its left arm was in the left most spot, the same with the other arm and legs. The headless doll was in the center top square. The hands then pulled out something wrapped in a cloth. A small compartment opened, right inside the wall, and the wrapped object was placed inside. The compartment closed slowly.**

Lina pulled back slightly, over taken by the rush of images. The girl in front of her just stared, not really showing any emotion. Finally, the girl turned slightly and pointed. Her long slender finger reached out towards the well. Lina moved her attention to the well, and then glanced back. The girl was gone. 

            Lina sighed and slowly began to approach the well. It was then that noticed that it had a large wooden lid. On top of it, a small blue tape rested. Gently, she lifted it up and pulled out her tape player. A male voice came out from the speakers. But it wasn't Xellos', and of course it was Sylphiel!

            **"I know it sounds crazy, but there is something here in this mansion beside us. I've it myself. It was a woman in a white kimono. Oh god, what have we unknowingly released? It must be something terrible. I have to find us a way out of here, before this mansion claims any more souls." **

Lina rewound the tape slowly and then pressed play again. There something in the background, some hissing sound, almost like a voice. She listened closely, bringing the player to her ear. 

            "_Ropes_" The voice hissed, holding the S for a few seconds. Lina shuddered. A loud banging noise caught her attention. She spun on her heel, glancing about. Voices slowly began to rise all around her. Lina turned in every direction, fearful and on edge. She spun once again, and this time a scream rose in her throat. She held it back as she stared.

            "S-Sylphiel!" She caught her breath, ragged and shallow. Her heart was moving so fast, it was beginning to sound like a hum. Sylphiel stood before her, staring with unseeing eyes. She slowly raised her pale arm, which seemed to glow in the darkness. Lina took a step back, and lightly squeezed her camera. Sylphiel, however, did not grab Lina. She only pointed a slender finger towards the shed. 

            Slowly, Lina backed away towards the shed. Sylphiel began to disappear from her sight. As Lina took another step back, her foot stepped on something and she slid back, landing in a heap on the grass.  A small scrap of paper floated down and landed on top of her. Lina lifted it up. The handwriting was slightly rushed from what Lina could tell. She pulled out her flashlight and examined it slowly.

            **Sept. 14, 5:48 PM**

**            In the materials Sylphiel gathered for me, there is a paragraph about five mirror pieces passed down through the Seilloon family for generations. These pieces were said to seal off the Hell Gate and protect the region from a great disaster. They might have something to do with the current Hellish situation I'm in. **

**            Five Holy Mirrors in five different shrines broke at the same instant in the earthquake we had a short time ago. When I read this, it gave me the idea for my next work. Now I wish I'd never of heard of this cursed place. I think I may have brought a newspaper article here with me about it. It says that there are only Five Holy Mirrors in existence. **

**            But according to some legends, there is another- a "True Holy Mirror". The folklorist, Rezo Akahoshi, wrote something about this as well in some of his research documents. (I think I lost all the documents I had found while I was trying to escape that cursed woman)**

**            I think that the Five Holy Mirrors actually were created to "watch over" the True Holy Mirror. I don't think it was the earthquake that broke them. I think it was a signal that the seal the Seilloon family had on the Hell Gate had been broken somehow. The Five mirrors were trying to warn us. **

Lina quickly put it away and stood up. As she was about to move away, her flashlight glimmered on something small and metal. Lina knelt down and picked it up off the ground. It was a small metal ring. It had a few markings on it that Lina couldn't make out. Lina didn't know, but she slid the ring onto her index finger. It fit perfectly, as though made for her.

            Lina sighed and turned around again. This place was confusing. Slowly, she headed back to the well and started down the lined path. At the end of it a few yards away, there was a small door in the fence. Lina walked to it and slowly opened it up. 

            Before her, there was a path that led to a large set of stone stairs. The stairs led up to a large shrine, with several large, red pillars supporting it. The stairs themselves were lined with many trees. These seemed much more healthy than the previous ones. Slowly, Lina began to walk towards the stairs.

            As she reached them, she noticed two things. One was that the moon was provided much less light here than before. The second thing was that there was a large stone… thing… on the door to the shrine. She slowly began to ascend the steps. Her heels made a light _tipp tipp_ as she walked up towards the shrine. When she had finally reached it, Lina realized that the stone thing was actually a special lock. There were a few stone tablets fitted on it, and one was missing.

            Lina carefully pulled out the stone tablet she had found in the lantern and looked it over. It was identical to the other tablets. Lina carefully slipped it on to the stone plate. There was a _click _from the door, and Lina gently tried it. It opened slowly, with no trouble. 

            Inside, the floor was wooden and creaked with every movement, making silence impossible. There was a large mirror that took up one wall, and directly in front of her there was a table against the wall that had a large box on it. Lina took a single step inside, and froze as her eyes fell to the floor. It was completely spattered with blood, from corner to corner. The blood wasn't fresh, at least a few weeks old, but it still made Lina nauseous. 

Not looking down, Lina ventured inside. As she reached the center of the room, a hissing sound began to echo throughout the small space. Lina turned around slowly, surprised. But nothing was there. The sound slowly evolved into a voice. A _male _voice. It was calling, pleading in a way. Lina stopped around her third spin and thought for a moment. Slowly, her eyes found their way to the ceiling, and a gasp escaped her lips.

Above her head, Mr. Gabrief was held in the rafters by several dozen pale white hands. His light hair was in what looked like a ponytail, and slipped over his shoulders easily. Lina watched in horror as his mouth opened in a horrified scream, but no sound emerged. Lina tried to pull her eyes away, but she couldn't move her head. In a terrible motion, the pale hands released him, and Lina watched as his body fell forward, towards the ground.

Lina braced herself, tucking her head below her arms and bending her knees. But all she felt was a sudden rush of air. She looked up, but nothing was there. She did, however, notice that the room suddenly felt very cold. She slowly tried to calm her racing heart as she look from side to side. She had by now learned that something wasn't right when that happened. 

She slowly back away towards he open door, keeping her breath as calm as she could. As she reemerged from the shrine, she felt the temperature go down farther than before, if possible. Slowly, she scanned the area for a small trace of something. Then, it flashed, literally, right before her eyes. 

The spirit of Mr. Gabrief was about two feet in front of her, and was slowly drifting forwards. Lina had a sudden spasm in her stomach, and a feeling of real terror reached her. Sure, this was what she felt _every _time she had an encounter with some spirit or another, but this time there was an important factor. She really didn't have much space. She seriously didn't want to go back to the shrine, and the forest was out of the question. So she was limited to the large set of stairs. 

Lina grabbed her camera and turned to go back into the shrine. The only thing her mind was saying at the moment, or should I say screaming, was _RUN AWAY! _(AN: Okay, I'm so sorry about this, but if I don't get at least _some _of my funny stuff out, I'm go stir crazy! So, this will be it for the funny stuff, otherwise you guys might mug me for ruining the mood…^_^;;) So she did. 

As she was running up the tiny set of stair that led into the shrine, she felt a sudden jolt and was suddenly on the ground. Her backpack strap had been caught on the railing, and had left one arm, more specifically the one with the camera, immobile. She gave it a yank, but it held fast, holding her to her position. Lina glanced up in time to see Gabrief just above her. She really had one chance until she could move the arm with her camera, and she really didn't think it would work.

She turned her body so she was on her side, and then in a quick motion, sent her foot fling right into the spirit's face, or more correctly, right _through_ his face. She sighed as she finally managed to get the backpack off her back

"Oh well," She mumbled as her camera flashed. The spirit took a step back and faltered. Lina took her opportunity to run past him and down the steps. Skipping several on the way down, Lina reached the bottom and turned as quickly as she could, bring her camera up to begin charging. 

As the spirit reached just above her, Lina felt a jolt for her camera, and it began to _glow_. Lina, for the moment, didn't question this, but instead pressed down on the shutter. The spirit let out a shriek that Lina had to cover her ears to keep from going deaf. The spirit fumbled back, and then came at her again. Lina pressed the shutter by instinct and rolled away. The spirit was taken back, but continued forward. 

Lina had just enough time to charge before the spirit reached her. She pressed the shutter and watched. As the shot took affect, Gabrief began to go back towards the shrine, as though trying to get away. But it wasn't of any use, the camera took effect and pulled the ghost inside the final photo she had taken.  

Lina lifted up the photo to look over. But instead of seeing the pale white form of Gourry Gabrief, she saw what looked like a mirror image of the corner of the shrine. Lina blinked and shook her head. That was her next destination. She passed by her backpack, thinking she would pick it up later.

As she approached the corner in the photo, Lina felt drawn towards it. Slowly, she knelt down and looked over the wood. One board was broken. Lina remembered when she was little; there was a broken floorboard in her room. She could never keep anything of hers away from her brother, so she had used the board to hide her _treasures_. 

Lina slowly pulled the board up and looked inside with her flashlight. There, on the ground, was what looked like a doll. Lina reached down and pulled it out. It was a doll, with a missing head. Lina shuddered slightly, and then nearly fell back in surprise. This what Amelia had meant. The vision Lina had before must have been telling her what to do. Lina stood up and walked over to the table with the large box. In front of it, there were four other dolls, each missing a different part. But the box didn't have the four sections it did in her vision. 

Lina put the doll on the shelf with the others so she could think, and was surprised when nine sections opened in the box. Lina cocked her head slightly and a small smile slipped across her face. She thought back to the vision to the order of the dolls. As she placed the last doll in it's place, there was a loud sound of something unlocking, and the wall slid open and revealed a small bundled item Lina pulled it out and slowly unwrapped it.

As she unwrapped it, Lina caught the small glimmer of a mirror. She was suddenly anxious to see what was inside, though she continued slowly so as not to damage the mirror.

"Is this the… Holy Mirror…?" Lina asked as she finished. It was broken, with jagged edges that could cut her is she wasn't careful. "No… only a piece of it," 

Lina jolted slightly as the sound of someone whispering reached her ears. Lina slowly walked forward, the mirror still in hand. As she reached the large mirror, she glanced inside and gasped. Behind her, in the mirror, there was a young woman with short black hair in a white kimono. Her bangs covered her eyes. But this was not Amelia, at least, not the one she knew. Lina spun around and looked behind her. Nothing.

She turned back and looked again. The woman was now in front of her, and reaching out of the mirror towards Lina. The woman pulled herself out of the mirror, and then slowly floated up until she was above Lina's head. Lina gasped and took a step back. The woman waited not a second before reaching out and grabbing Lina wrists. 

Lina froze as several images reached her mind.

**Ropes… on her arms and legs, and even her neck. Shivering violently… so cold. The sound of water dripping. The ropes! They started to grow tighter on her body, and she felt stabbing pain, as though she was being pulled apart!**

**And then, there were children. Looking over her chanting slightly. "_Look! A new demon!_" Several of them said, and others echoed. And then, it faded to black.**

End 1st night


	15. 2nd night: Part one

Chapter 15:

2nd night: Part one

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2nd night!!!! This should be fun! Thanks for reviewing; I'm going to start the chapter now!!! This is somewhat like a teaser for the second night, I guess. Just to keep you guys happy. Nothing too special.

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            Lina shot up from the horrid nightmare. The sound of her heart reached her ears, as well as bare feet on wooden floor. She turned from her position to see who was there, but all there was were the empty eyes of the dolls. Dolls… Lina glanced down, and fell back in horror.

            On her wrists there were marks, as though she had been bound tightly. She brought her wrists up to look at them. Slowly, the marks began to disappear. Lina looked up slowly, her heart beating so fast she feared it might jump out of her chest, and gasped in surprise.

            In front of her, a small boy with short hair in a traditional Japanese outfit stood. In his hands, he held what seemed to be a mirror piece.

            "That mirror…!" Lina gasped, reaching out towards him. "Give it back!"  The boy slowly disappeared, still staring at her with cold, lifeless eyes. Lina shivered slightly and stood up. Her camera and flashlight were beside her, and she realized the only reason she could see was the fact that it was on. She gently knelt down and picked them both up.

            Sighing, Lina began to look around. She was in the room with all the dolls again. Awful memories came to her as she thought about it. She glanced behind her, to where the door was. Everything seemed in pristine condition. But that wasn't possible. She had knocked down one of the shelves before. Lina backed up slightly, and tripped over something.

            Groaning, Lina looked at what had blocked her path. Her backpack! Lina grabbed one strap and swung it over her shoulder. It had everything she needed, including a small snack in case she got hungry. Then, her flashlight began to flicker, and then went out completely. 

            "Oh god," Lina muttered under her breath as she pulled off her bag and started to go through its contents. "It's a good thing I brought extra batteries," 

            She quickly unscrewed the lid of her flashlight, put the batteries in, and then clicked it on. The light was bright, after her eyes had adjusted to the dark. Lina moved it around a bit, looking around. She let out a startled cry and took a step back when her beam shimmered on the form of a little girl.

            "Y-you!" Lina exclaimed, taking a calming breath and relaxing slightly, seeing that it was only the helpful spirit of… Amelia, she thought. But that wasn't possible, Amelia was the woman who had attacked her earlier; how could there be two Amelia? She shook her head and concentrated on the figure before her. "How did I get here? Did… did you take me here?"

            The girl gave her a small nod and then pointed at her camera. Gently, she pointed to the far wall, just next to the large doll roped off. She tuned back to Lina took a step past her. Lina turned slightly and watched the girl walk over to a small cushion in the middle of the floor. Then, she slowly faded out.

            Lina shined her flashlight on the spot where the girl had stood. A piece of paper caught her eye. As she removed the cushion out of her path, she realized it was two papers. One was folded up neatly, and the other looked like it had been torn from something. And there was what looked like a small packet of film. Lina took the film and placed it in her bag, and then lifted up the scrap to look at it. It was written in Zelgadis' handwriting!

            **I must have passed out…  I'm afraid it's much too late to help Mr. Gabrief, or anyone else in this mansion! If only I hadn't hesitated to come, I may have been able to save them… it's too late now, though… I'm worried… I know Lina came here looking for me… I've seen her here. Or maybe I'm just seeing things. The mind has been known to play tricks on someone when their desires are strong. I suppose it's just my subconscious, trying to appease the wanting to see my sister. I hope she isn't too worried…**

            Lina felt tears well up in her eyes, her heart wrenched as she thought of her big brother, alone in such a large and frightening place, writing this as though he would never come back alive. It was only when she tasted the salt on her tongue that she realized she was crying.

            "Oh Zel…" She mumbled through her hands as she held them to her face, hiding her crumpled expression that gave away her tears. She quickly brushed away the streaks on her cheeks and put the paper away in her bag. Gently, she lifted up and unfolded the second piece of paper, and gasped in great surprise. "A map!"

            It was a map of the mansion. More than likely it was used in the building of the large house. She carefully laid it out on the floor and looked it over, trying to find her position. There were words written on the paper next to each room. The names of the rooms, Lina guessed.

            "Okay, here's the Entrance." Lina pointed to the place where she started her voyage through the mansion. "That means… the large porch out there must be the C-Cherry Atrium…" Lina squinted to read the tiny writing. "So I am in the… Doll Room. How fitting…" She mumbled, glancing around. 

            Slowly, she stood up and put the map away. It might come in handy later. Then, she thought of the other message of the girl. She had pointed to the wall… like the way she had when Lina needed to find what she figured was called the Lamp Hallway. 

            "She wants me to take another photo…" Lina said, walking over. She gently placed her ear to the wall and knocked. It sounded hollow… Lina took a step back and slowly raised her camera. 


	16. 2nd night: Part two

Chapter 16:

2nd night: Part two

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Sorry about the delay, guys. I could give you a few dozen excuses, but I'll only give you one. I got sick last week and my lungs went into spasm. It got so bad I had to make a quick trip to the ER. I'm a little better now, so I can update.

* * *

            Lina aimed carefully, looking for the one spot that seemed to pull at her. Finding it, Lina pressed down on the shutter. The camera snapped the photo and Lina pulled it out and waited. When it developed, Lina looked it over carefully. In the photo, there was a scroll on the wall in which some children were playing a game of some sort. 

            Sighing, Lina put the photo away and headed towards the door. As she reached it, she felt a sudden chill run down her back, and the old hanging lamp above her head began to sway back and forth. Shivering, Lina slowly pulled the door open. 

            As she stepped onto the porch, she felt her blood run cold. Her breath was shallow, and she was aware to every tiny sound. A creak from the floorboards or a branch moaning in the wind would send her into a frenzy of fear. Her mind was racing almost as fast as her heart, and her face was paled. Something strong was nearby. 

            She nearly jumped out of her skin as a small white child came running across the porch. She watched the child run, and then disappear into air.  The hair on the back of her neck bristled and seemed to stand on end as she slowly began to walk along the porch. She held one hand to her heart, as though to steady it. Her brow was ruffled in worry and fear as she leaned slightly to the side to peer around a corner, taking small, easy steps. 

            She let out a gasp as the room suddenly became what seemed to her as below freezing. Fear was racing in her eyes as she stopped moving and listened. At fist, the only sound was of the trees scrapping across the rood and old wooden frames of the house, and the moaning of the house it's self. Then, a voice, moaning in agony, reached her ears. It was a rough soprano that might have had potential for singing if the owner had been alive. And it was _behind_ her.

            Turning slowly, the sound of floor boards creaking as weight was unevenly distributed atop them began to rise, and Lina gasped in horror as she watched the bare feet emerge from around the corner. The figure appeared female, with long, dark brown or black hair flowing down her back. A torn kimono fell loosely on her body, the obi* sash in rags. Pale white arms extended out, allowing the figure to reach out to make her way. Her eyes were covered with a white bandage, deep red blood that seemed to have bubbled out from the skin minutes earlier streamed out from them and down her tear stained dirty cheeks. 

            "_It's so dark!_" The woman moaned in pain, her rough voice echoing through out the dark halls of the blood stained mansion. "_My eyes! My eyes!_" 

            Lina felt a churning feeling in her stomach that she could only describe as sympathy for the relatively young woman. She wasn't sure _how_ it had happened, but she was relatively sure what had happened. And what she was thinking of was cruel and horrible, much like many of the things she had learned about in the mansion. 

            She unconsciously took a step back as the blinded woman groped near. She suppressed the urge to cry out as she watched the woman stumbled around, and _through_, walls. The woman wandered right by Lina, not paying much notice to her. She slowly began to stumble down the few steps that led to the yard. Lina thought for a moment, and then slowly pulled her camera up. 

            Taking aim, she felt the camera begin its charging sequence. The woman continued wandering around aimlessly, moaning about her eyes. Lina waited until the camera seemed to tremble, and then pressed the shutter. The picture slid out the slot and the woman shrieked. Lina's eyes widened as the pale figure turning and, hovering above the ground, rushed towards her. 

            Taking in her total of two options, Lina turned on her heel and ran down the porch. She raced towards the far door, the floor creaking under her weight. As she reached the door, she ripped it open and ran in, shutting it behind her. Breathing heavily, Lina brought her camera to her chest and hugged it tightly. 

            Sighing, she brought her flashlight up and glanced around. She was in the large area with the hallway, stairs, and mirror. As she took a few steps into the room, she heard the sound of laughing. Children laughing. She glanced towards the mirror, and the stairs. She gasped slightly as she saw the small form of a child run down the hallway right next to the stairs. Lina walked over to the hallway and peered down. She could only see up to the first corner, but the child was gone. Slowly, Lina began to walk down the hallway. 


	17. 2nd night: Part three

Chapter 17:

2nd night: Part three

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Okay guys, sorry I haven't updated recently. It's getting to the end of the school year, and that means finals are coming up! Oh joy! Updating may be slow… I hope not, though. Also, I have a chorus competition coming up, so I'm a little stressed. Short chapter, this time…

 Anyway, I'm also working on some other things. If you haven't seen, I'm working on an L/Z fic called "Slayers: Quest for Kyuusai" and one with Samanda (The sweetie!) called "Uncommon Vows". If you're an L/Z fan, I recommend these. Enjoy!

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            Lina slowly walked down the hallway, completely aware to every sound and movement in her sight, or hearing, range. She shuddered slightly, and continued to the end of the hall. When she reached the door at the end, her hand hovered slightly above the doorknob. She wasn't sure what lie ahead, and in a sense, it scared her.

            She had already dealt with so much. All she wanted was to find her brother and leave… but now… learning about her grandmother… Mr. Gabrief, Sylphiel, and Xellos… even Amelia. They all suffered so much, but was it really fair that she had to stop it all? 

            Lina bit her lower lip and thought about it. She couldn't leave; she couldn't just let her brother slip away. She had already lost so much; her father, her mother, the only one she had left was Zelgadis. She wasn't about to let him go without a fight. 

            She held her head high, her decision made. Without another thought, she pulled the door open and stepped in. A chill greeted her, and the damp atmosphere sent shivers down her spine. She was in the room with all the water and planks. Slowly, she pulled out the map and look at it. The area she had just left was called the Stairway, which meant she was in the… Fish tank Room. 

            She wondered for a brief moment why it was called the Fish Tank Room if there weren't any fish, but she quickly pushed those thoughts away and began to walk towards the first plank. 

            The room suddenly felt as though the temperature had dropped to below zero, and Lina felt her heart pick up speed. She watched wide-eyed as a small pale child appeared out of nowhere and made a mad dash towards the other end of the room. 

             She sighed and slowly moved to follow him. She really didn't have much of a choice.  She moved quickly, reaching the other side of the room easily. Gently, she pulled open the door that led to what she suspected to be the backyard. 

            As she walked down the small path, her feet made soft padding noises. She thought about the current lead of events. She hadn't had any run-ins with Amelia, though she wasn't sure if that was good or not. She hadn't seen the little girl in the white Kimono, either. Slowly, she emerged from the fences into the wide Backyard. There, in front of her was the well. It was odd, however. The well was glowing with an eerie green aura.

            Slowly, she walked towards it. As she did, she felt her heart skip a beat. Sweat beads slipped down her forehead and into her eyes. Aside from her flashlight, the area was completely dark, which surprised Lina, as before she didn't need her flashlight. 

            Her stomach began to ache slightly, and she suddenly felt very nervous. As she approached the well, a sound reached her ears. It sounded like a child, crying. Slowly, she moved to the edge of the well. It had, like before, a hard wooden lid. She gently placed her ear against the covering. Whatever it was, it was defiantly coming from the well. 

            Breathing hard to gather as much air in her lungs as possible, Lina grabbed the edges of the lid and pulled. After a few seconds, the lid began to slide roughly. Lina pulled hard and the lid slipped off the edge of the well and landed on the ground with a crash. 

            Ignoring this, she slowly peered down. She could only see about a foot into the well before it was swallowed by pure darkness. The sound was getting louder, closer. Lina gasped as she saw the outline of a small child appear from the darkness. A pale child, or more correctly the ghost of a child, was slowly climbing up the well. But the child wasn't crying any more, it was laughing. A cruel and horrible laugh that sent chills down Lina's spine. 


	18. 2nd night: Part four

Chapter 18:

2nd night: Part Four

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Okay, please don't kill me for not updating! I'm innocent, I swear! Life has been hectic! But, to make up for it, I'm gonna make a nice and long chappie this time. At least, long for me.

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            As the child hovered above the well, Lina seemed to freeze in place. Fear began to rise up in her, seeping into her normally calm and collected eyes. Squeezing the camera to her chest, she took a step back. And then another. Before she knew it, she was against the fence. The child slowly hovered towards her, her arms out stretched, reaching for Lina. 

            Lina immediately pulled the camera up and began to aim. Her hands trembled slightly as the child came closer and closer. The camera, though for a different reason, began to tremble itself. And then, in a sudden rush, the ghost began to rush her. As she felt the cold hands grab her arms, Lina's finger pressed the shutter button and sent the ghost back screaming. 

            The ghost backed away and began to head into the backyard. Lina once again pulled up her camera and let it charge. The child was wandering through trees and seemingly towards the fence. Gently, Lina pressed the shutter once again. The child spun around and gave Lina a glare that literally sent chills down her spine. 

            Lina pulled the camera up and began to aim. The child came forward, rushing quickly. Just as she reached Lina, she stopped. Slowly, she pointed towards the well, her long, slender finger trembling as she did so. As Lina followed her finger, her vision blur slightly. There was a sudden flash of light, which nearly blinded her despite how dull it was, and when Lina regained her vision, the girl was gone. 

            Lina sighed and, after picking up her photos and putting them away, began to once again approach the well. As she neared it, she saw something shimming in the low light. Walking over to it, Lina discovered it was a carved stone; much the one she had found in the swampy area she had learned was the Abyss. This time, however, the stone was carved with blue instead of black ink. 

            Lifting it up, Lina realized it wasn't just the type of ink used that differed this from the other. The symbol on it was different, and though made with same effort and care as the other, it seemed as though who ever had made it finished in a hurry. 

            Lina let out a low gasp as her breath suddenly became very shallow. Her hand trembled slightly as she looked away from the carving in front of her. A small, child like voice reached her ears. 

            "_This way!_" With out thinking, Lina spun on her heel. There in front of her was little Amelia, staring up at her pleadingly. "_Follow me!_"

            Amelia turned and dashed away, her pale feet flashing every so often as the edges of the Kimono went up and down with her movement. Lina began to follow, trying hard to keep up. Amelia went right through the door that led to the Fish Tank Room and continued running. Lina grabbed the handle, feeling the cool metal against her skin, and yanked the door open, catching a glimpse of Amelia as she left the Fish Tank Room and re-entered the Stairway. 

            The chase led to the Cherry Atrium, in which Lina had no time to look around in, straight to the room with the candles, and to the room filled with broken and old parts of the mansion, which actually described the mansion in entirety, but Lina couldn't very well imagine the entire house fitting in this one tiny room. Amelia stopped in the room, turned to Lina, and looked up at her. Her eyes were different than everything else in the mansion. She actually had some emotion in them. She was pleading. Pleading for help. 

            Slowly, she began to fade. Her lips opened as if to say something, but before she could, she was gone.

            Lina looked around carefully, from side to side. Making her way around the rubble, Lina slowly walked to the back of the room. It was then, for the first time Lina noticed a large door. It resembled the Shrine in which she had found Mr. Gabrief. Lina shuddered at the thought.

            Slowly, Lina pulled out the carving and fitted it into the door. The door unlocked with a _click_ that echoed through the dark room. Lina carefully pulled the doors open, which gave way within a few tries. Obviously these doors hadn't been used in ages. 

            As she entered, the first thing she noticed was how cramped the space was. Though she wasn't claustrophobic, Lina did hate being in small spaces. They made her uncomfortable, and the last thing she'd want was to be attacked in a space as small as this. There was barely enough room to move.

            She was in a long corridor. The floor, like most else, was hard wood and covered in dust. The walls, though made of a stronger substance, seemed to be made from paper. There were candles lining each wall, which only added to her suspicions that the people who owned this place were a family of nut-jobs all cluttered together in a tiny house that could barely sustain one lunatic, considering that if the walls _were _paper, this place would be in flames the first time the candles swayed. But then, how could a breath of wind find it's way here?

            Sighing, Lina continued down the hall. Humor wasn't helping her situation, no matter how funny. And the last thing she needed at the moment was to break out laughing in the middle of one of her "battles" thinking of one of her lame jokes. 

            Along half way down the hall, it curved at an angle, making it hard to see beyond. As she approached, Lina felt a sudden shiver run down her spine. Her mouth became dry, and her heart seemed to speed up. Slowly, she peered past the curve, and almost fell back, letting out a small cry and began to run. _Forward_.

            "Zel!" Though his head was looking down, and his step didn't have the usual calm and confident stride it usually did, it was him. It _had_ to be. Some how, he kept in front of her, though he was at such a sluggish pace that a turtle could beat him in a race, as though she was being pushed away by some force. "Zel, wait!"

            And then, he disappeared. He simply _vanished_. And it was a split second later she realized why. When she reached the area he had disappeared from, she ran smack into a door. Landing hard on her lower back, Lina groaned and looked around. It wasn't him. It couldn't have been, her brother was alive. That was the whole reason she had come.

            It wasn't from belief. That would have been stupid, to just walk into a place she _knew_ had a terrible history. No, when she had heard of her brother's strange disappearance, she had been surprised. Very surprise. 

            _"H-he went to Mikumoru…?" Lina asked the man in front of her, grabbing a tissue. "He was going to search for Mr. Gabrief, I didn't think he would actually go…"_

_            "If he went to Mikumoru, then you know as well as I do he's as good as dead." The chief of police murmured, patting her on the back reassuringly, not knowing how awkward that felt for her. "But we'll look into it, ma'am. Just, please, don't get your hopes up,"_

_            And with that, he left, leaving Lina to sit on the couch she had once shared with her brother. The couch they had curled up together and watched horror movies about ghosts, zombies, and everything else. And now… he was gone._

_            No, he wasn't gone. She would know if he were dead. She would know. She could still sense him. His essence. It was still strong. Which meant he was somewhere at Mikumoru. Which meant that was where she was going._

            Sighing, Lina pulled herself up. She could still sense him. His essence was still there, though much fainter than when she had entered. Using her flashlight to look around, Lina glanced up at the door. She mentally cursed to herself as she noticed the puzzle lock on it. Once again, this lock was missing a carving. Which meant she would have to find it. 

            Groaning, Lina pulled up her camera. So far, it had revealed many mysteries to her, though it seemed to add on ten times as many questions, so she figured it was worth a shot (No pun intended).  Aiming at the lock, Lina pressed down on the shutter. After a moment, the photo developed and Lina looked it over. It clearly showed a large stone, almost like a grave, on a small island. Very small. The island was barely big enough to hold the "grave". As she looked into the background, she noticed it was very foggy. The island was surrounded by murky water. Shaking her head as she realized that this was a picture of the Abyss, Lina put the photo away and look at her feet, sighing.

            It was then she saw a small piece of paper on the floor. Picking it, Lina used her flashlight to look at it. It was written in her brother's handwriting.

            **The mansion is starting to change… as far as I can tell; the spirits here are trying to pull me into the past, as far fetched as that might sound. They're using their power to change parts of the mansion back to the way it was in their time. They're beginning to stir. **

**            Just what happened to this mansion, anyway? And what exactly am I supposed to do about it?**

"Being pulled into the past?" Lina repeated, surprised. That could explain why her brother's essence was growing fainter, but was still there. He was alive, but trapped in two different times… 

            "I swear," She murmured, beginning to move back the way she had come. "When I find my brother and we get out of this, I will never look at the horror genre the same again,"


	19. 2nd night: Part Five

Chapter 19:

2nd night: Part five

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Only one review? I feel neglected =( Heh, just kidding guys. Sorry about the long wait; I've been working on a few original stories instead. But here you go, fresh from the computer ^^

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            The Abyss was cold. Colder than it should've been. Shuddering, Lina tugged on her backpack and pressed forward into the misty area. The fog clung to the horizon and the moon seemed to dim. Lina stopped walking when her feet were nearly touching the water. She slowly looked out into the distance, her eyes scanning the area with ease. But even with her vision she couldn't see anything past the thick fog.  

            She was about to turn around, walk back to the Cherry Atrium, when something floating on the water caught her eye. Kneeling down, Lina lifted up her flashlight and looked out for whatever it was. 

            "But… weren't these broken before?" She murmured, looking at the long set of wooden planks that led to a small island not to far away. Shaking her head, she stood and slowly began to walk across them. "Oh well, never look a gift horse in the mouth." 

            As she reached the island, a large wave of De Ja Vo hit her. Shooting out of the ground was a large stone that resembled a grave marker. Shivering slightly, Lina moved towards it. Looking around, she saw a small carving that looked like the one she had had in her possession not to long ago. Only this one was purple. 

            After collecting it, she stood and brushed off any dirt that may have collected on her personage. She then moved back towards the house. She never liked the Abyss; it sent shivers up her spine just thinking of how Sylphiel had died there. 

            The Cherry Atrium was, by far, the room she felt the most comfortable in. The wide, open space offered a strange comfort to her. At least she wouldn't have to worry about being cramped in any "battle".

            Walking down the path, Lina fingered her camera. Slowly, her mind began to wander away. She remembered when her mother had given the camera to Zelgadis. It was strange how Zelgadis had acted after that. Whenever Lina had asked to see it, he refused. It must have had something to do with they way their mother died.

            Lina stopped in her step and closed her eyes, fighting tears. Their mother had hung herself, the day before Lina's birthday, from the branches of the large Cherry Blossom tree they had planted in the yard. That tree used to be her favorite spot, but now Lina wouldn't go near it. 

            "And all I have left is a small hair clip," Lina paused, realizing she had begun to speak aloud. Shaking her head, she gently slid her backpack off her shoulders and reached inside. Grasping the object of desire, she pulled it out and looked it over. It wasn't the most beautiful thing in the world, not by far, but it meant so much to her.

            It was one of those hair clips you stick in a ponytail using a stick. She gently ran her fingers over the glossy, smooth surface. It was a medium sized clip in an oval shape that had a peach/beige background with a deep brown boarder and crescent moon. She smiled as she pulled her hair back into a high ponytail again and slipped the clip into her hair. 

            She slowly continued, following the long path before her. She gently looked up, trying to get a glimpse of the moon. Startled, she let out a small cry as she took a step backwards. Up on the balcony stood a ghostly pale man. His dark hair resembled Zel's in a way. He was staring out; looking over the yard. Slowly, the image faded away, leaving only an eerie essence. 

            Lina sighed and placed her hand to her heart, trying to slow it. Taking a deep breath, she continued down the path, several thoughts occupying her attention. As she slowly began to walk up the few steps that led to the porch, all of the feeling rushed out of her and she could almost feel her skin pale. 

            Slowly, Lina looked around the area. As her vision settled on her right, she nearly shrieked as once again a pale figured appeared. This one, however was much more startling. It was a small girl, crawling out from under the porch. The girl slowly craned her head to look at Lina, her cold eyes sending shivers up Lina's spine. Slowly, the figure disappeared in to the darkness that seemed to surround her. 

            Struggling to keep her breath, Lina hurried back to the corridor. She wanted to get out of this; the sooner, the better. 


	20. 2nd night: Part six

Chapter 20:

2nd night: Part six

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Yay! Shadow Knight's back! I thought for a moment that you'd stopped reading!

Also, you guys, we've reached 40 reviews!!! Thanks a lot, you don't know how happy I am!!!

And one more thing, to Reece1, if you look at my profile, I put up one disclaimer for everything. I can never remember to put a disclaimer into my stories; it always slips my mind, so instead I decided to just put up one in my profile, so that even if I do forget it'll still be there.

Now, for the big news. This story's progress is going to be going slowly, at least until I finish "Quest for Kyuusai" and until after June 20 (See below for explanation).

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The Corridor, the long hallway Lina had seen Zelgadis in, was one of those rooms that no matter where you were you're always on edge. Maybe it was the cold atmosphere, or the occasional strange noise that echoed on and on, but it sent shivers down her spine.

Lina had been mumbling to herself about how she was going to murder her brother when they finally got out of the mess he had put them in as she approached the locked door. Her flashlight was the only comfort she had as she fitted the carving to the door. When the familiar unlocking sound reached her ears, she sighed and slowly pulled the doors open.

The instant she did, a gasp was released as her eyes widened in surprise. She had known the mansion was big, but big enough to hold a giant hole in the ground?

The floor was pure dirt, and there was actually some light in the room, however faint. There was a large ledge that led around the square hole. Beneath that was another ledge, and it continued like that, following a pattern that resembled a staircase. At the edge of each ledge was a latter that led to the next "step". Around the first ledge, the one she stood on, there was a dirt-made railing that only stopped to give room for the latter. Supporting the structure were four large pillars with strange symbols on them Lina didn't recognize.

Slowly, Lina approached the "railing", and looked down to the bottom of the pit. In the center of the bottom was a large, flat carved stone in the shape of a rough circle that acted kind of like a place mat. There were five stones that stood up on top of the circle, outlining a pentagram. At the foot of each stone there was a symbol that matched one on the pillars, except the one at the top.

And there was a large door. Lina nearly had to do a double take. A figure stood before the door. A very familiar figure. Lina gasped, startled.

"Zel!" Lina blinked, and he was gone. For a moment, her stubborn, almost fearful expression, softened. She pitied herself. She truly _was_ helpless without her brother. But he was her only family. She loved him dearly, and he was the only one who understood her.

She sighed and headed towards the latter. As she approached it, she looked at the pillars. The symbols on it weren't in any order, and quite frankly looked… demonic. They were slanted and slashed into the dirt-covered pillars, in red, what she hoped to be, paint. The entire sight was enough to make her shudder.

Slowly, she descended the latter, shivering as the temperature got colder and colder. It seemed to take hours before she reached the bottom. It was dark where she was, nearly completely void of light aside from her flashlight. The dark had a feeling to it she didn't like. At all. It made her want to run and hide.

The area was littered with small pebbles and stones, making Lina even more nervous for if she ran and fell, she would surely hurt herself. Guided by her flashlight, she slowly made her way towards the door. She was nervous, or perhaps scared was the better word, though she might never admit it. Every movement caused her to skip a step and a heart beat. At one point, she craned her head to look closely at one of the stones. She moved her head so fast her hair came around and hit her in the face. She nearly shrieked and dropped her flashlight.

She muttered a string of blunt curses as she got on her hands and knees, fumbling for the light. But it had plans of its own, as it only rolled away, towards the door. She was, she realized, on a down hill slope. Somehow it didn't surprise her. She winced at the pain in her legs as she crawled around, one arm outstretched for her flashlight, and to make sure she didn't run into anything. Somehow, the flashlight had clicked off and she was now left to only her maternal instincts. Nervously, she began to hum, and slowly words began to softly fill the empty silence.

"Yuuhi no beni yo

Tengai o gandou

Himitsu o kuuki sageru

Hitori Ja nai

Zutto---" (See below for more info.!)

She stopped as she heard her own echo. She didn't know what had made her think of that song; it brought more sad memories than happy. It was a song her mother had taught her when she was still in the "There's a monster under my bed!" stage. It had always soothed her, even now. Lina could clearly remember that sometimes at night, before her brother had met Mr. Gabrief, she would have horrid nightmares about her mother. Her brother, her own hero, would softly sing the melody until she fell to the gentle arms of sleep.

Her voice, though it could've been strong, was soft and gentle, almost like a shy little girls', but it seemed to mirror the way her mother had sung it so long ago.

She smiled with a ting of nervousness as she successfully found her flashlight and clicked it on again. Her head shot up as the sound of someone talking, or rather moaning, filled the space her song had left vacant. She was up top her feet in a moment's time and looked around. She stopped as realization struck her; the voice was coming from behind her.

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Cliffhanger! Heehee Review, okay?

1- On June 18, 19, and 20 is when I'm going to be going to my first Ice-skating competition! I'm really stressed out, and that's why updates are gonna be a little slow. Wish me luck!

2- The song is called "A Waiting Maiden's Melody", and belongs to me. As in, it's copyrighted so don't steal it! Mind you, that's a shorter version of it; the original has one more verse to it. If you want a copy of the long version and/or translation go ahead and ask! I'll just need your email!


	21. 2nd night: Part seven

Chapter 21:

2nd night: Part seven

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_Author's notes: Okay, I'm sorry this one took so long. I've been pre-occupied in real life, too much for my wasted brain to think about. _

_I have bad news concerning the story. It seems I'm stuck on one specific part in the game, and I _am_ working at it, but it's giving me trouble. I have currently found a visual walkthrough off the game (Thank you Persona!!!) So I will be able to continue writing it, and have good visuals of the backgrounds. However, all sections featuring cut scenes will be made purely off of my imagination. _

_I'm hoping it doesn't come down to that. Some of the cut scenes in the game are beautiful, in a really scary way. _

_Oh well! We haven't reached that point yet, so on with the story!_

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Slowly, Lina turned around. Her breath was caught in her through, and her body was trembling. Sweat trickled down her brow and she struggle to keep her heat from bursting. She slowly blinked and looked on. Nothing…

But that was impossible! She could've sworn she had heard something…

Lina sighed. The Mansion was getting to her. Steadying herself a bit, she began to make her way to the ladder. And then, it seems to go in slow motion.

A voice screamed out, and Lina suddenly felt as though she were in a freezer. She turned as quickly as she could, just in time to see a white blur rushing at her. She suddenly felt frozen in place. She could see the outline of the blind woman. She couldn't move her feet; she was too scared. So, instead, she braced herself. Her fingernails dug crescents into her palms as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Something about this woman terrified her. She couldn't understand it, but she had a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach about her, and it paralyzed her. Quickly, she opened her eyes, and found herself face to face with said ghost. Without thinking, her finger pressed on the shutter button, and the blind ghost pulled back, shrieking and moaning.

Lina took this chance to run as far as possible. The ghost quickly recovered, and began to stumble around, arms outstretched as she moaned and cried out.

Lina stood still, and thought for a moment. Suddenly seeming much braver than she felt, she slowly and noiselessly knelt down and grabbed a pebble or two. Standing again, her heart racing, she tossed the pebbles to the side of her. In an instant, the ghost was on top of the pebbles. Lina could feel her arm becoming a giant ice sickle as the ghost barely brushed her.

Trembling, Lina pulled the camera up and took careful aim, struggling to keep track of the spirit as she wander around aimlessly.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she felt the camera begin to tremble. Taking a slow, shaky breath to calm her heart, she pressed the shutter and watched.

Blinded, as Lina had decided to call her, shrieked loudly, loud enough to wake the dead. Lina silently felt like slapping herself. That was NOT funny. Not in even the smallest way. Shuddering, as the echo of the scream died away, Lina took relief as the ghost disappeared, as well as her presence. Lina carefully gathered up the photos she had taken and scanned them over. When she reached the last photo, however, it was odd. Instead of seeing Blinded, she saw a row of candles. She recognized the background. Slowly, Lina pulled out her map and looked it over.

The room, if you could call it that, was called the Demon Mouth. The Corridor led to it, and the room that led to the Corridor, the room with all the broken pieces of things, was called the Rubble Room.

How fitting… Lina thought bitterly, looking up for a moment. Turning back to the map, Lina found the room she was looking for, the room with the candles, the Burial Room. That was where she had seen the row of candles. Lina carefully placed the photos in her backpack.

Then, she scanned the ground, in hopes that she missed something. And almost instantly she noticed a small box. Slowly, she knelt down and carefully lifted it up. The box was small, with a rough material- maybe sandpaper- on the sides. It was red and yellow, with old kanji markings Lina couldn't understand. Lina gently shook it. Inside, some small objects rattled around.

Gingerly, Lina eased the box open; weary of anything around her that might move. Inside, about four matches lay. Lina quickly headed back to the Burial Room.

Nothing happened as she passed the Corridor, which Lina was incredibly grateful for. The only thing that was odd was that the closer she got to the Burial Room, while she picked her way through the broken items in the Rubble Room, was that it was much colder than she remembered.

Finally, Lina reached the door leading to the Burial Room. Stopping for a brief moment to make sure she had film in her camera, Lina took a deep breath and opened the door, expecting something to pop out and attack her.

Something did appear. But it didn't attack. The little girl in the white kimono stood there. For once, Lina didn't jump back, or cry out. She was startled, but it hardly showed. The girl was pointing to the small table in the corner, her face showing concern, and maybe… a little fear?

"_This way!_" she called, pointing frantically, before fading slowly. Lina quickly caught a glance at where she was pointing before the girl disappeared, her voice still echoing in the air.

Lina hurried over to the table and looked over it with her flashlight. Standing up tall were eight candles, four red and four white. The table looked like it had been dusted recently… Lina pulled out her matches. She only had four… and considering how tiny the matches were, she couldn't light them all…

With a sigh, Lina set the matchbox on the table and pulled up her camera. Aiming carefully, and weary that she was running low on film, she snapped the photo and pulled it out. Slowly, it developed, revealing the candles.

"The red ones are lit…" Lina muttered to no one. She gently picked up the matchbox and pulled out a match. With trembling fingers, she struck the head of it against the sandpaper and watched the flame flare up. Slowly, she lit the first red candle, just before the flame of the match disappeared. Lina picked up another match, stuck it, and lit the next candle. Soon, she was on her last match, and lighting the last candle.

As she blew out the candle, the sound of something unlocking reached her ears. Slowly, she reached behind the candles, careful not to touch the flames. Behind them, a small drawer had unlocked. Lina pulled it open and pulled out it's contents.

A scroll, rolled up, sat in her palm. She carefully unrolled it and looked it over, using the candlelight and the light from her flashlight. She could make out what looked like children on a dark background. It looked familiar.

Lina quickly pulled off her backpack and pulled out the photos she had collected. Going through them as quickly as possible, she pulled out the one she was looking for. It was the picture she had taken in the Doll Room. The scroll in the picture matched the one she held.

Lina smirked and put both the scroll and her photos away. She was finally getting somewhere. And that was good. Lina knew she wasn't far from the Doll Room. Which meant there was less a chance of her getting caught by a ghost along the way.

Shouldering her pack, Lina went over to the door that led to the Cherry Atrium. She kind of liked the name of the porch. If she didn't know how creepy it was, it might've actually held some sort of welcoming sense to it. As she made her way down the porch, she couldn't help but shiver. The temperature was getting colder. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, and she felt as though something were behind her.

She had checked several times before she had reached the Doll Room. Entering, her blood suddenly went cold, and she suddenly found it hard to breath. Lina swallowed, her dry throat aching from the gesture. She slowly made her way to the wall by the roped off doll. She suddenly felt eyes on her. But it was probably from the dolls. Doll eyes always had freaked her out. While other kids were terrified of monsters under their beds, she was afraid of having a doll in the same room with her.

Lina glanced to her sides as she looked at the dolls. Her hands were trembling.

She stopped walking for a moment to calm her nerves. Her mind was racing, like her heart. Her head shot up, as suddenly she knew she wasn't alone in the room. Turning slowly, she looked around. And then almost fell backwards. She saw a small child. The child bared a strong resemblance to the one she had fought in the same room. And she was slowly crawling towards her.

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I love cliffhangers! They're so much fun! Actually, I had hoped to get much farther than this, but it's okay. Till the next chapter!


	22. 2nd night: Part Eight

Chapter 22:

2nd night: Part eight

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_Author's notes: Guys, I know you probably hate me right now… I deserve it. But I do have a reason as to why I have updated in forever: My Xbox broke TT. I can't play Fatal Frame anymore! (At least until I get it fixed. Hopefully that'll be soon.)_

_EDIT: My Xbox is fixed! I can now update. Check out the bottom of the page for details.

* * *

_

Lina backed away until she could feel the cold, dust-covered wall against her back. She watched as the child crawled closer and closer, her head bent forward in an unnatural position. The child's hands gripped the floorboards, the pale skin almost glowing against the dark brown texture of the floor. Voices pierced her thoughts as the child got closer and closer. Lina began to feel her fragile composure, barely holding together as it was, begin to unravel.

Gripping the camera for reassurance, she took in a deep breath and brought it up to her eye, looking through the small hole and taking careful aim. Her fingers were trembling, she noted briefly, and fidgeted every few seconds. The child was within arms length now. She was reaching out, trying to grab Lina. Lina felt a sudden rush of fear, and before she realized it, her index finger had pressed down on the shutter, snapping a useless photo. It had little effect, and the child didn't hesitate.

Lina felt her leg go numb from cold as the child closed its grip around her ankle. She fought off the urge to scream and pulled away as fast as she could, but she already felt the effects of the attack. Her knees felt weak suddenly, and her head seemed like it wanted to split in two. But she struggled to ignore it, and forced herself to be calm. She'd been through this before. She _could_ handle this.

She lifted the camera up and peered through the lens. There was just enough distance between the ghost and herself that she had just enough time to charge. As the child crawled forward, Lina began to feel faint. Her breathing was labored, and her limbs were screaming at her for exerting her body like this. But still, she had to find an opening, she had to- There!

Without hesitation, she snapped the photo, and heard the now familiar cry as the child was pulled forward and into the photo. And then the silence fell over the room again, save her shallow breathing, and everything stood still. Lina took a moment to recover, and she felt her energy begin to come back to her, albeit slowly. With a grunt, she moved towards the only blank wall in the room. She felt a cold sensation slip down her spine, and she shook it off with ease.

She pulled her backpack off her shoulders, noting the newly formed tears and scratches on it, and reached inside. Pushing aside a few items, her fingers finally closed around the object she need, and she pulled it out, a breath of relief falling from her lips. She stood and shouldered her bag once more, and then unrolled the scroll. Taking it by the edge, she hung it around a small hook that was the top.

There was a sudden _click_, and then the wall seemed to move. Placing her hands on the right side of it, she pushed, and found that it gave way easily. She stepped through, and realizing that the wall was like a revolving door, just like one at a fancy hotel or something.

She peered around, and then let out a soft gasp, for the room she was in was very familiar. Kimonos stood at every corner, different sizes and colors, some for children, other for adults. A few were probably Yukatas. This was the room she'd been in when she'd laid Xellos Metalium's spirit to rest. A shudder pasted over her as she remembered the horrible fate that the poor man had received.

As she stepped farther into the room, she thought she heard a whisper. There was a line of Kimonos in front of her, obstructing her view, but through the cracks she could see parts of the room. She watched, frozen, as a small boy ray by the Kimonos, his pale skin almost fluorescent in the dark light. He vanished as he approached the wall. Lina shivered, and moved on.

There was only one way out of the room, aside from the hidden door she had entered through, so it wasn't hard to figure out where she needed to go next. She passed through the room and reached the door. She slid it open, and peered inside. The room was still; it was the room where she had found Mr. Metalium's… body? Could she call it that? It was more like the imprint of his body, really, but… it seemed wrong. Twisted, in some way.

She pushed the thought from her mind as she quickly made her way towards the door that led to the hallway. As she neared it, she could have sworn she heard the sound of someone running through the hall. She fought back a shudder and entered the hallway. It looked just like she had left it; the lamps hung from the ceiling had an oriental appearance, and the boards beneath her feet were still creaking under her weight.

She was obviously being led somewhere, albeit she had absolutely no idea where. As far as she knew, there were only two ways out of the hall, the way she had come, and the door that led into the room with the fireplace.

Which meant that she would have to go to the room with the fireplace. Determined, she set off down the hall. As she walked, a strange gust of wind blew in, and a soft whisper echoed throughout the hall. The lamps began to sway back and forth effortlessly. Lina knew that she was heading in the right direction. The spirits were getting restless.

It took her less than a full minute to reach the end of the hallway. As she approached the door leading to the fireplace room, she felt a shiver run down her spine and feeling a dread wash over her. Something big was about to happen. But she couldn't help but wonder: perhaps the strong emotions she was feeling came from the mirror piece she had lost? Maybe she was getting closer? She could only hope that that was the case.

She reached out to open the door and realized that her hand was shaking. _For good reason_… she thought bitterly, and pulled open the door.

The fireplace room was the same she remembered it as. The screen she had moved the reveal the doorway she stood now was still resting to the side, the fireplace was still cold, and the room was still eerie and uncomfortable. Aside from the last points, she was almost relieved to be back in the room. Compared to some of the memories she had from the other rooms in the house, this place was paradise.

As she took her first few steps into the room, however, that feeling quickly fled her. The temperature dropped almost instantly, and Lina could almost see her breath. Her chest tightened, and she held the camera a little tighter, almost by reflex.

She walked by the small staircase, and looked around carefully. The room was surging with negative feelings. She stopped moving when she heard a creak behind her as something shifted. She turned slowly, and narrowed her eyes, which were following the beam of her flashlight. And then she caught sight of movement in the corner by the stairs. Her flashlight fell on an old grandfather clock.

She heard another creak, and then she watched as the glass door of the clock began to slowly open, the glass reflecting the beam of her flashlight.

* * *

_Author's notes: Can anyone say, "The author is a dead girl"? I thought so. Yes, yes, it's a cliffhanger. And worse yet, it's miserably short. I _know _that it's cruel, especially since I haven't updated in… what? A year? Over a year? I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to make you guys hang like that. But this is just a quick reminder:_

**I have not forgotten, nor have I discontinued this story.**

_Get that? Good. Updates will _hopefully _start sticking to a regular schedule. I try and update again by the end of next month, deal? Hey, it's better than waiting a year!_

…_I wonder if anyone still reads this story…_


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